Knitting and Friends

Suna and Diana
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I have not been getting anything finished this week, so no FO photos. I am still plugging away at the grandmotherly afghan. I frogged the Vogue Knitting cover sweater and embarked on #29 in that same issue with that yarn, instead (I did this because I really think I need worsted weight yarn for the cover sweater, and I do have a gift certificate, so I can get some and do the sweater justice). I did finish a sock, but have no photo yet, so that will be fodder for later in the week!

But, I do have some nice knitting stories! The picture shows my friend Diana, with whom I worked online doing web design for many years and whom I hadn't seen since I stopped doing that couple of years ago (she now lives in New Jersey, though when we met she lived in Maryland). She is more engaged in writing books and doing speaking engagements now, too, so doesn't do web stuff as much either (she taught me a lot, so I was always grateful to have her on my team). It was just a strange coincidence that a mutual friend's husband passed away and the funeral was when Diana happened to be visiting her brother and SIL after the birth of their first child up in Dallas. So, Diana was able to drive down and join me in supporting the friend at the funeral, then she stayed on Saturday so she could hang out with me during my knitting teaching time!

Diana ended up taking the class, too, though she already could knit (and I had given her some tips that I hope will make it go even better as we chatted Friday night). The photo shows her feeling triumphant because she had learned to purl! She'd thought she wasn't a good enough knitter to do that, but she turned out to be! By the time she left to go back to Dallas, she had completed a lovely dishcloth, full of stockinette! I was happy to have been able to teach her something, since she had taught me so much a long time ago.

I have to say that yesterday was one of the most rewarding and fun knitting classes I ever taught. It was a nice mix, with one young mom brand-new knitter who learned to knit for her birthday, and with two much older neighbor women who thought they had forgotten how to knit, but of course, hadn't. One of the ladies had some issues with an arm, due to brain surgery, so was really afraid she'd not be able to knit. She was using a cane, and was a little hard of hearing. Certainly there was nothing wrong with her sense of humor, though, and she had me laughing so hard that my cheeks hurt, and I really, really needed that laughter. I am probably as grateful to her for making me feel better as she was to me for helping her see that she could, indeed, re-learn how to knit, even with her challenges. She said she was going to frame her dishcloth when it was done. She kept exclaiming, "Look B! I am doing it!" The other woman had brought an entire basket of dishcloth cotton and said, "I have no idea what I thought I was going to do with this!" And she had the coolest pattern for an Aran sweater, all typed out by hand. She had made it 30 years ago. Yeah, she'll be FINE. I was so happy to re-introduce her to something she can have a lot of fun with now. I told her where to get books of dishcloth patterns, and in return she gave me a hilarious book of crocheted items like toilet roll covers. It will be a great addition to my collection of vintage patterns.

I just had so much fun with Diana and the other ladies. It felt so good to help one learn the basics, another master purling, and two others remember past skills. That is why I love teaching knitting! I was especially happy to have a friend join me and to help her.

Speaking of friends, my local knitting friend Jody has apparently left the country to start her new life. So, send her vibes for a smooth transition and safe arrival of all her knitting, spinning and dyeing stuff! I will sure miss her, so I will remember to treasure my other knitting friends and enjoy them when they are around.