Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Guest Crafter of the Month

I'm not sure if any other blogger out in the blogosphere does a guest crafter of the month series, but I thought I might start my own for now. I was inspired to do this because my mother-in-law, Gerry, (whom I love dearly) sent me a picture of a baby blanket she had knitted for her soon-to-be second grandson. I felt that it needed to be shared because it such a nice piece created with so much love.

Over Thanksgiving my in-laws came to visit, and on their last night at our house, I decided to do some knitting on a scarf (?) while we watched TV. My MIL sat next to me, watching, and remarked that her mother had taught her how to knit many moons ago, but she didn't know how to start because her mom had always done that for her. So, I got a spare set of needles and some "learning yarn" and taught her how to cast-on. Within mere minutes she had begun knitting in a number of different stitches, many I had never even attempted myself (Disclaimer time: I have been knitting since December 2004, and I pretty much use the "knit" stitch exclusively.)!

Well, she was hooked (gosh, no pun intended!), and for her Christmast stocking I hooked her up with a sweet pair of wooden kneedles from my LYS. She has been an avid knitter ever since, calling me once in a while to ask about an abbreviation in some pattern or another. I know how she feels when she said that knitting helps her feel close to her mom, who is no longer with us. When ever I am crafting I feel the invisible, ephemeral, yet strong bond that links me to my female ancestors that did the same stitches (either knitting or sewing) in their lifetimes. I think that is why I love making things so much...it helps to bond me to women that I have never met, yet know are such a part of who I am.

That sure is one lucky grandbaby!


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If you are interested in being a guest crafter of the month, please leave a message in the comments section.