Knit & purl

Hello bloggerverse,

My mother taught me to knit when I was around 8 or 9. I don't remember what the reason was, but was probably because of my Nana. My Nana would knit all the time. Whenever she'd come visit, she'd sit on chesterfield working on stockings or mittens in the round. I was so fascinated with how she could take ball of yarn and turn into something so wonderful. She'd tell us stories of people we'd never met from 'back in her day' never looking down at her work, never dropping a stitch or messing up her cabling.

My mom taught me to knit one afternoon in the middle of summer ( I think I might just be making that up). She taught me when to knit, when to purl and how to pick up the stitches I'd dropped many rows ago. Dropped stitches happened a lot! After a week I had expected to have a fabulous scarf and be so thrilled with my new skill. Yeah, that didn't happen. I had a maybe 5" square and was frustrated, thought knitting was dumb (Hey, I was 9!) and gave up. I don't remember what happened to those first needles I probably gave them away.

A few years later, more like 10, I asked my mom to teach me again. This time I was eager to learn and master the needles. This time I learned, and practiced, practiced, practiced, practiced. The only thing I didn't know how to do was cast on. My mom was at work when I wanted to learn how. so I figured it out on my own... sort of. I made a slip knot, knit the one stitch and then kept knitting into the front and back of that one stitch. Not exactly the proper way to do it but it served my purpose. I asked my mom who taught her to knit, expecting her to say her mother or even my Nana but it wasn't. It was my grandpa. He learned in the army while he was enlisted during WWII. I had never known his about my grandpa and I feel like its a little something we share. Our little pass time that we share together. Even though he's gone.

Over the years, I have mastered the knit, concurred the purl, cast on and cast off millions of stitches and loved every minute and every hour, there have been many hours spent knitting. Many movies knit through.

When my hands are idle, I am dreaming about my current and next projects. I dream of knitting. I want to spend every minute of every day knitting. I love being able to make things for the ones that I love. Every stitches is made with love, care and enjoying every minute. Now I have friends baby's to make tiny little adorable things for, nephews, and of course friends that always need mittens.

Maybe this is my way of paying homage to my family, especially my Nana who inspired me all those years ago when I was just a little girl wondering how she was doing that. I miss those itchy mittens she used to make and would give anything to have another pair. Thank you Nana for giving me this amazing gift that I love and cherish so much,

Knit hard for life.