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A Year in the Making

Before I get into today’s post, I just want to point out that one of you, probably today or perhaps tomorrow, is going to leave the 20,000th comment. Amazing! And there will, of course, be a special prize for the 20,000th commenter.

Okay, onward.

Those of you who have been around for a while will remember that Hannah started a dish cloth last year around this time. If you need a refresher, the post can be found here.

Guess when she finished the dish cloth? Last night. And she wouldn’t have finished it then except that I got on her case about having my favorite pair of Lantern Moon needles for a whole year.

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So, I taught her to cast off and now it’s done. Perhaps not the finest effort but done is better than perfect.

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We had a little chat about knitting while she was casting off. Apparently, she still hates it. She finds it stressful and figures that it’s not worth stressing herself out just to make me happy. I pointed out that we could knit together in the evenings and that if she kept at it she’d get much better. But she said no, she was done with knitting.

And yet, when I sarcastically asked her what she wanted to knit next, she picked up my copy of http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Pretty-Kris-Percival/dp/0811835332/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196294432&sr=8-1 and started thumbing through it. Next thing I know, she announces that she is going to make “a bunch” of book marks for her friends and then when she finishes those she is going to make the super-long ribbed scarf.

All by Christmas.

I didn’t ask her if she meant this Christmas or next Christmas.

This Post Has 91 Comments

  1. I’m so glad I swallowed before I read that last sentence or two. 🙂 I hope she gets the true fire for the craft, but even if she doesn’t, don’t give her your Lantern Moon needles for the bookmarks and scarf! 🙂

  2. I don’t think Miss B is planning any knitted gifts for Christmas. I OTOH have eyes-bigger-than-time-remaining syndrome, just like Hannah.

  3. Awwwwwww Hannah is so sweet. She obviously loves knitted objects but has to take her time. I love knitted and crocheted bookmarks and my sister gave me a tip to press them with cornstarch to make them stiff.

    When I was really little (under 5) I always asked to hold my mother’s wool while she was knitting and I’d sit beside her chair pulling the yarn out of the ball for her. She quit knitting and I started designing doll clothes that really turned out fantastic; can’t believe I made them. Then I moved on to baby clothes out of horrid, bright orange.

    I think lots of teenagers don’t want to have the same hobbies as their mothers but I’m sure Hannah will relish knitting when she has a steady boyfriend to knit for, or when she has kids 🙂

  4. Pretty sneaky to ask her what she wanted to make next, hehe. The dishcloth looks great, I think the bug will bite her soon. All I needed was a pattern, something that I could look for while knitting, like a star on the dishcloth, I was enamored :).

  5. Hmmmm… Your daughter sounds like mine,she loves all the socks and things I make and she did try knitting and spinning but claims it stresses her out. Oh well maybe some day.

  6. Yeah..she hates it until she sees all those pretty things you can make. It’ll be like when I learned. When I was younger, I wanted nothing to do with it. Had my first child and really wanted to learn. Since then, I haven’t put down my needles and have bought a LOT of yarn!

  7. I like the dishcloth. I think it is good that Hannah has a place to go with her knitting, and perserverence is a virture, right? Also I wanted to comment on how much I enjoy reading your blog. Your consistency in posting is inspiring.

  8. That is a huge dishcloth! But it looks good, and hey, my first crochet project took longer than that.

    Hopefully she will keep at it, but if she does get addicted, keep a close eye on the stash. It might grow legs and walk off.

  9. I’ll bet that you could entice her with the police tape scarf 🙂 btw, I found the pattern is also on line for free.. I’ll post a link soon.

  10. 20,000 comments!? Dang. That is a whole plethora of comments (forgive me, I couldn’t help myself. I don’t get to use ‘plethora’ very often). And nice dishcloth, Hannah. 🙂

  11. And to think… I was looking forward to comment # 5k. :p

    Please make sure that she doesn’t use any needles that you love. That way how long she takes won’t have that much of an effect on you. ;^)

  12. Congratulations, Carol on such a successful blog! Wow, 20,000 comments? It is testament to your very interesting writing. Way to go!

  13. Wanted to let you know I made your pie crust tonight..best one I ever made!! And I have 10 GRANDCHILDREN AND 1 GREAT. So there, you taught an old broad new tricks. Good girl!!!

  14. Yeah for Hannah…. and having goals is a good thing.

    and the amazing thing about 20,000 is that I know you respond personally to all/many of them

  15. Coming out of lurkdom to say “you rock” to Hannah! My daughter (who’s 14)knit scarves for all her friends (5 and pretty long too)for Christmas…she just decided to do and did so maybe Hannah will surprise you and do it too;)

  16. Yay for Hannah and her FO!

    She probably means it, just like I mean it when I say I’m never Navajo-plying again, and then I do it anyway because it’s pretty and useful. And then I vow to never do it again, again. Again?

  17. I sure wish I had learned to knit as a teenager—-I was 56 when I started, that was 2 years ago. Who knows what I might be doing now!! Actually I’m on my 4th and 5th pairs of socks, so I’m pretty excited about that! Someday, she’ll be glad she got her start early, and will happily pick up yarn and needles again.

  18. I’m catching up on your blog finally! The hoodie is GORGEOUS as is your daughter. And you made me totally crack up with your comment about her knitting!

  19. I learned a long time ago not to promise WHICH Christmas/Birthday/Anniversary the gift would arrive. I know some people knit dishclothes for the soothing value of something mindless, but for a first time knitter, it might be a little too ‘mindless?’ Let her try something a little more challenging…it might hold her interest. Unlike that endless, black cardigan in sockinette for my very long torso-ed husband, that was started last fall. Wonder if it can be finished during winter break after the Christmas socks are finished? Wonder if the Christmas socks will be finished. lol

  20. Maybe the secret is truly something she thinks is fun or can use. When I teach someone to knit, I never suggest scarves or dishcloths if they don’t enjoy those…I’m all for jumping in and picking something you really like, you’re more likely to stick with it and enjoy it. So perhaps Hannah’s “fun” knitting ideas will help her move from hate to love, just like her Mom!

  21. Hannah is too funny! She has a “knit” gene that she cannot ignore 🙂 Sooo does that mean the Lantern Moons have been not been reclaimed? Would make a great stocking stuffer.

  22. Is that dishcloth as huge as it looks?

    Maryse has a good point–knitting with a nice springy tweedy wool might encourage Hannah a little more. ‘Cause cotton sucks.

  23. 20,000? That is amazing! I miss all my comment milestones. Don’t tell Hannah I think it’s very cool that she finished her dishrag (that might be enough adult approval to make her not do the book marks, and I want to see how they turn out). My sister-in-law has been working on a hat to go with her coat since last Christmas, I told her to dig it out and bring it so we could finish it at Christmas this year.

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