A surprise in the pockets

My aunt didn't only teach me to knit and crochet, she taught me a lot about life. Most notably about generosity and giving of oneself. Here she is in one of her knitted sweaters.

She made a pattern up for knitting cardigans using a circular needle, starting at the neck and increasing raglan style. It was adjustable to whatever size she wanted. She made numerous sweaters for any one who might need one, incorporating different stitch patterns and various other features, like pockets. I remember getting a new sweater almost every year, with a special addition, a two dollar bill in each pocket. The memory alone is special, as we no longer have two dollar bills any more. I don't think it would be quite the same with a two dollar coin in the pocket. I have a few sweaters still that she made, but one in particular I cherish. It is a wee baby sweater and although I have no children of my own and have not ever used it I keep it as an heirloom and reminder of what a special person she was.

I attempted my own version, but as you can see I never finished it. I expect I should get to it...one of these days.

To crochet or not to crochet

My aunt taught me to crochet a few years later, but oddly enough I wasn't as fascinated with crocheting as I was with knitting. There was only one block that I learned how to make, one that my aunt taught me. It's a hexagonal block, rather simple, but quite fun to work with. I made a couple of afghans using it.

The picture above is from my Bible School days. It was the first afghan I completed using this block. Sorry about the poor quality, but it was taken pre-digital camera days. I hope you at least get the idea. (Don't look too closely, I wasn't terribly fond of weaving in my ends).

I don't have a picture of the second one I made. It was in shades of blue and I gave it to a friend for her baby many years ago.

The following picture is a close up of a block:

I, like many woolaholics, have scrap yarns to use up. I have a supply of what I call 'ice cream' colours that my mom had on hand and I think I'm going to use them up making these hexagonal blocks. When I get finished I'll post a picture.

Since those days, crocheting has grown on me and I've made several afghans. Most of them I have given away, so they are living at other people's houses and I don't have pictures of them. But now that I have a digital camera I will go visit them and take their pictures.

Beginnings

I doubt my aunt was fully aware of the repercussions of teaching me how to knit. I remember her sitting in her favourite chair knitting away at something or other, usually a sweater for one of her nieces or nephews. At the age of five I could no longer stand it and begged her to teach me how to knit. I actually wanted to learn to crochet first, but she thought knitting would be easier to start with. And so we went to the local wool shop and purchased a pair of red double pointed needles and a ball of bright pink yarn. I still have those red needles but the pink yarn and what was made from it is long gone. I do have my first project that I ever completed...a blanket for my dolls.

I haven't looked at this for years, and now that I look closely at it I see a myriad of mistakes that today would have me ripping away furiously to eradicate. I imagine when I made it I was just so pleased to get from one end to the other without it unraveling that I didn't see the mistakes. I do remember my aunt inspecting it closely when I started to make sure I was on the right track. I think the piece was done to teach me how to work with more than one colour of yarn. I do know that I haven't looked back since and enjoy knitting today as much if not more than ever before. And I am grateful to my aunt for having the patience to teach a little five year old how to knit.