My Knitting Life

"Pep Rally Hat" by Morehouse Merino2 Skeins Morehouse Merino 3 Strand ~ Cranberry and SunflowerSize 5 Circular and DPNsJanuary 2-4, 2007For Maddy

My first knit of 2007. I find after a disappointment, it's a good idea to pick up something that will lift your spirits. I have wanted to make Maddy a team hat for quite some time. They all wear crazy hats as they run out of the pool with wet heads to the car in the winter air. Their coaches MAKE them wear hats, which is a good thing because we all know they wouldn't listen to their mothers. Maddy was asking for the hat last night, but it was still damp and needed a pompom. She can wear it tonight!

The boys are wearing their snowboarders every day to school.  Each of the Morehouse hats I have made from kits have come out on the small side for an adult, fitting my 8-13 year olds just fine.   I have become quite attached to the cottony soft Morehouse Merino yarn.  One reason the boys are wearing the hats is that they are so soft against the skin.  These hat kits will be my knit pick-me-up from now on!

I love a man in uniform.Charlie, 10; Joey, 7Little League Opening DayApril 28, 2006What glorious spring weather we are having!  My weekend has been a whirlwind of socializing, kid sports events, domestic chores and a little bit of wooly fun at the Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival.  I think I enjoyed it so much because it was planned last minute, and it was a small and homey festival.  I met up with some friends, and got to meet for the first time, in person, Lauren, and Diane.  It's still amazing to me that blogging can bring such wonderful friends into my life.   

"Tomorrow - Wake Up.  Have a quick  waffle.  Wax sleds.  Go Sledding.  Come in.  Have hot chocolate."

Dear Mr. Weatherman,

Tuesday you messed up!  We went to bed with our pajamas on backwards AND inside out.  We slept with wooden spoons under our pillows.  Nothing happened.  Tonight they say six inches.  Our mom needs a knitting day.  Don't let us down.

Love, Charlie and Joey

Maddy finished her Hurricane Relief Blanket the other day, and we took it over to the shop (I forgot to photo the finished version).  On the way home, she announced, "Now I would like to knit something fun, not all that boring knit stitch."

She can now knit, purl, cast on, k2tog, y/o, join, cast off.

The other day, she said, "I made a mistake a couple rows back, but I fixed it."

Then, another time, she said, "I forgot how to switch from purling to knitting, but then I figured it out."

OK, I guess SOMEONE doesn't need her MOM anymore.

Her next project - a ribbed scarf in Manos, with a hat in the round, to match, "like the ones in the Last Minute Knitted Gifts book," she said.  She cast on for a ribbed scarf with this fall-colored skein I had in my stash.  She is almost done the first ball.  Outwardly, I only show mild interest in her progress, but inside, I'm all a-glow!

(It looks like the weather might improve by Saturday afternoon.  I might make it to Rhinebeck, but since my husband is away, I will have the boys along, which should make for a completely different experience - less shopping and more action!)

What to do on a warm fall day?  Help 350 elementary school students plant over 1100 daffodil bulbs in 230 holes in under 2 hours!

Our school's Earthkeepers committee organized this traditional Daffodil Day planting and in the past it has involved a small bed at the school entrance.  This year, those wacky committee co-chairs decided to go all out and plant up one side and down the other!  Daffodils all around the perimeter of the school on the outside, and tulips in the inner courtyard, where the deer can't get at them.

These co-chairs report to me as I am on the Executive Board of the PTA.  Which is a fancy way of saying they do all the work!  I am priviledged to work with such energetic parents - it amazes me what these volunteers give of their time and energy to better our school.

And today, it is raining buckets, and I'm thinking that's good for the bulbs!  Have a great weekend.

Looking out the window just now, this is what I see.  Maddy, right, is having a chat on the front lawn with her friend, Kendall.  Maddy really trusts Kendall.  I wonder what they are talking about?

Oh, and something else about Kendall...she knits.

Have a great weekend!   

Thank you so much for the comments on my "Midstream" post.  What a curious few days it has been since then.  I was basking in the afterglow of my loving mother-daughter interaction, while hastily packing backpacks to send my boys off to action-oriented camps, all in the hopes of HAVING A FEW MINUTES TO MYSELF this week, when it crept up on me....ANOTHER PARENTING CHALLENGE!

Charlie (you remember him, cast-on-foot during soccer, cast-on-wrist during baseball) was signed up for mucho-dinero Awesome Adventure camp.  Like kids going into 4th grade MUST have experience with group raft-building, spelunking, rapelling and other "character-building" stuff?  So we send him off at 8 a.m. and pick him up at 4 p.m., and expect that, since he's athletic, and sensitive (gets all the team-building stuff) that he would flourish there.

He's been kinda quiet after.  Very hungry.  Very quiet.  Little aches and pains.  So tonight, I tried some of my new parenting stuff on him.

I said, "How's camp?  You know, if you don't like it, or something's going on there, just let me know.  Dad and I don't care if you like it or not.  Just let us know."

Well I'll be damned if he doesn't say, "A girl is bothering me there."

"Like how?", I say, trying to keep my voice at an even keel.

"Like following me, and taking off my hat, and interrupting me when I am talking.  Just embarrassing me in front of my friends."

This is not the first time we have experienced this.  Last year, I was contacted by his teacher, because she wanted to let me know that a girl had been bothering Charlie, that she observed it, and had taken corrective measures and wanted me to be aware of it.

When it happened during the school year, we talked to him about telling the girl to leave him alone, and if it got to be a problem, to tell an adult.  But honestly, this turns all the tables.  Girls harrassing boys?  Does this express some shift in our society?  And how can we protect our boys?  Hasn't all the focus on harrassment been the other way around?

The counselors at this camp are great, albeit young, out-doorsy college kids who are not parents.  There are only two days left for the camp.  The girl in question is the daughter of my friend's good friend.  My husband is travelling and not available for consultation.

So this one has no great resolution (yet).  I might not send him tomorrow.  Or I might send him, thinking he needs to figure it out.  That's the problem - there's no right answer...

Boys Being Boys, Charlie on Right

Midstream

Last Sunday, we drove Maddy to camp.  This is her third year at sleep-away camp.  It was her idea in the first place, and every year there is no question that she wants to go back.  Camp drop off is like a surreal experience.  Your senses are heightened, emotions are running high, everyone has their own issues they are processing.  I have found that it is best to be quick about it - no need to linger, just let everyone get on with things.

Each year, though, I see that she is at a new stage, she makes new connections, has new confidence and new worries and fears.  As we were helping her settle in, she was clearly embarrassed by her brother's antics around her cabin - I asked their Dad to take them to the car!

Once they left, we had some time to walk around a little.  As we hiked up the steep hill to her cabin, she said "What if there are mean girls like at school last year?  I think everyone already knows each other.  They look so much older than me!"

Of course, I hastily replied, "Don't worry!  Everything will be fine!"

To which she replied, "WHY do you say that?  It doesn't help!"

Well that just took the wind right out of me.  In a flash second, I recalled the parenting books I used to pour over way back in the beginning when my kids were small.  One book really taught me about active LISTENING - It's Not Fair, Jeremy Spencer's Parents Let Him Stay Up All Night, by Anthony Wolf.  I remember at that time thinking it would be years before I would be ready for his next book - Get Out of My Life, But First Could You Drive Cherly & Me to the Mall?.

So I took a deep breath and said, "You're right!  I think I say that because I love you and I want to make everything OK for you.  I can see how it is of no help to you when I do that!  So, you're worried about your cabin?"

We then talked about some things she could do when she got there to ease in.  Maybe reach out to another girl - ask her where she's from.  Chat with her counselor.  Stop in on a friend in another cabin.  She calmed down, and we said our good-byes.  We left each other in a good place.

Last week a friend of mine had a baby.  She has three older children, the same ages as mine.  When I saw the baby, I realized how parenting changes!  Here I am, smack-dab in the midsteam.  My kids need me, not physically any more, but emotionally.  You have to be there, vigilant, willing to work on your skills as a parent. 

Speaking of midstream, that's where I am with my two knitting projects, Tizzy, which is the Jaeger tank, and John's Guernsey.  I hope to seam and do neck and arm bands on Tizzy soon so I can wear it before the summer is out!

 

The party was a huge success! First, the party room before the guests. Next, guests knitting and giggling. Finally, Maddy's progress during the party.  Several mom's told me the girls worked on their knitting at home afterward, which was very satisfying.  Even if you only convert one or two....I wish took a photo of the lunch, but by then I was not so organized.

As is usual for teaching knitting, you had some students take off, some need a little help, and two that really struggled.  Plus you can really see their personalities emerge, and their learning styles - some work quietly, others call out "I made a mistake - help!"

At this age, they are very kind to each other and those that could knit helped the others when I was busy.  If you are looking for a party idea, I would recommend this one!

Imagine my complete and utter shock and amazement when proposing birthday celebration ideas to my daughter, turning 12, I happened to toss out there the idea of a knitting party at the very cool shop where I've been teaching, and I got, in response, a "that sounds good...what would we DO?..." 

Why, make up these perfect little bags, with needles and some Encore, and some cool yarn to make a cool belt, to be finished off with some cool beads, followed by a cool lunch at a cool restaurant, of course!  Specifically, I will teach them all to knit with the Encore, and then we will make a belt with some fun Berroco Cotton Twist in hot pink and orange - 6 stitches on a size 9 needle, knit every row.  Fringe and add beads, if we get that far before lunch.

The shop owner has been so generous to me in the past few weeks.  She gave use of the space for the party, and the bags and beads, too.  I worked up this sample in blue, but the girls will make it in pink.  Saturday, 11 a.m., 8 girls - WISH ME LUCK!