knitting

Last week, while I was sitting working on a hat, Julien asked if I could teach him how to knit. He has been asking for quite a long time, but I know from my reading about development and the coordination needed that it was best to wait until closer to 7. He has been finger knitting since he was 4. He does it mindlessly now as he sits listening to stories in the afternoon. I taught him to 4 finger knit when he was 5 and we have an endless supply of bracelets, headbands, and rope. Now at 6.5, I figured the time had come.

I chose a rainbow skein of Chunky Mochi. It is thick, soft, and rainbow. Perfect. I set him up with some bigger sized needles, casted on 20 stitches for him (they learn cast on later down the road) and then we sat down. We used the verse:
 

In through the front door,

run around the back.

Peek through the window

and off jumps Jack.

I won’t lie and say it was easy for him. I saw first hand why waiting is so important. The coordination, the concentration was so intense and yet with each stitch it came, slowly, but it came. Fingers grew more comfortable holding all the stitches and the yarn. He grew better at finding that place in front of the needle to fit it into the stitch. I thought for sure he would get frustrated and walk away, but he didn’t. He finished a row, and I said that was probably enough for today. He agreed, but 30 minutes later he was back at it for another row.

This weekend we laid low as we fought the nasty flu going around (and won for the most part. Yea for homeopathy!!) He had only a slight fever, so not enough to make him sleep but enough to keep him on the couch. Much to my delight, he had his knitting with him. Oh how happy that made me feel!

As his fingers get stronger, so too will his writing. As the synapses in his brain make this newly learned connection, so too will his pathways for more complex learning down the road. Such a big step made with a simple pair of knitting needles!

For anyone interested in a really fantastic book on why handwork is so important and at what stages things are introduced and why, check out “The Will Developed Intelligence”. If you are Waldorf or not, it is a really great read and wonderful way to supplement your children’s education no matter what path you follow.

If you are Canadian, I am not referring to “The Sweater”, if you are not Canadian, you should watch that short film to get a glimpse at classic National Film Board of Canada short. The sweater I am referring to has been one a long time in the making, quite literally actually as it has taken me 2+ years to knit it. Now in my defence, it was almost completed last year, but my first born son is not a fan of Mama made things, claiming them to be scratchy and itchy (including a cashmere sweater I made him!!). So when he took a look at the almost completed sweater a year ago and declared it “too itchy”. I knew I was knitting in vain. So I did what any completely crazy knitter would do, I frogged the whole size 10 boys sweater. I might have also wept a bit. After it was all re-wound I set off to find a pattern that perhaps he would wear.

The mecca of knitters everywhere, Ravelry, held just what I wanted and so I cast on to make a Hotshot sweater, with hood (per request). The yarn was hand dyed by my wonderful friend Fiona and Julien helped her with it when we visited the summer of 2011. He has a special connection with this yarn so I was hoping this would help with the actual wearing of it. I picked this pattern because it is worn like a vest, so it goes over other clothes that he deems comfy to wear. The hood makes it stay off the neck, a point which seems to bug him the most. No long sleeves either as my boy runs on the hot side.

So I finally finished it and I was supposed to use Kitchener Stitch to finish the hood, but with the holidays and me just not finding the time to learn it, I gave up and just stitched it together by weaving it. It turned out great. In fact, I love the way it ended up looking a bit gnomish. I, however, am not the one wearing it. Although be it noted that I could if I wanted to. Yes he is getting that big that I can just about share clothes with my 6 year old. So, I handed it over and the verdict.... he loved it.

{The lighting in these are HORRIBLE! It is dark in our house and there was no sun up yet when these were taken. I will try and get a few in the sunlight! Please accept my apologies for very back pictures!}

It still has to be blocked, but he was wearing it anyway, and that in this house is the most successful Mama knit for this boy I have ever had.

Now I need to finish up the Classic Watchman cap for hubby and then I am going to try my hand at Thrumming a pair of mittens for me!!

Linking up with Nicole today!

A knitting post! It has been a while because it has been a while since anything came off the needles. Sad but true. This summer though I am determined to get a few sweaters off before the colder weather sets in. I fear I may lose my battle though. The past few nights have been cold and this morning the air had that distinctive smell about it. The geese have also started moving. Oh and there is a tree that I can see from my living room that has a certain orangish glow about it and it isn’t the dead loss from the drought. It was green a few weeks ago.

Back to the knitting. I am just working on the last bits of a Hotshot sweater I found on Ravelry. Love this sweater, love it!

This one is for Julien and he has requested a kangaroo pocket and a hood. I am just finishing the last back edge then it needs a pocket and hood and then done!!
Next up will be a red one for Noah. Notice, the bottom front edge? Notice anything weird? Yea, I must have not split the stitches evenly when I placed the two side markers and there was an odd number so the moss stitch turned into a ribbed stitch but only for a small piece of the edging. Very weird and I will have to rip it out and do it over but it will have to wait until the overall sweater is done. I need to finish it to keep the knitting mojo flowing.

As for what I am reading, (reading, what is that??!!) still working my way through “The Will Developed Intelligence”. Really loving this book and the insight it gives to why all the handwork and such is so important. I have been knitting and reading outside as the boys spend most of their days outside soaking up that last bits of warm weather and sunshine. It has been good and reminds me that life here is pretty sweet.

So I mentioned in Monday’s post that I actually got to do a bit of sewing and knitting this weekend. Two things that have been neglected the past few months and I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant to get back to it all. It had been a while and I was worried that my mind wouldn’t be able to shut off enough to focus on what the hands were doing. I am so glad I picked the needles!

Nothing too ambitious for this first venture back into my handwork. First up, some cloth snack bags I have been meaning to make. I searched the internet and found this tutorial which is the one I most closely followed. As usual, I didn’t follow the directions fully. I never do, with anything, knitting, sewing, cooking, I tend to use patterns and recipes as guidelines. Very loose guidelines. I am pretty happy with the results.
 

I just lined these with some cotton muslin. I think I will search out some oilcloth and try a few with that as well for our slightly wetter snacks. These will be perfect for crackers, pretzels, trail mix, nuts, dried fruit and such. I am loving the fruit fabric. The ladybug print was Noah’s pick. He is thrilled with them.

As for the knitting, I started the Hotshot found on Ravelry. I am using the yarn that I wrote about last summer dyed by my very talented friend Fiona. I was almost done last year’s sweater when I realized that Julien never, ever, wears the sweaters I make for him. He complains about them so I rethought my plan and decided to bite the bullet and frog last year’s project (yes that really really hurt!) and start again. I found the pattern and talked with Julien and we agreed that this one wouldn’t bother his neck and could be worn during Fall and Winter, and he could wear something under it so it wouldn’t bother his skin.

I am really liking the pattern so far and I still totally love this yarn. Such Julien colours!

Hope you are carving out time for your own projects and finding as much joy in them as I am!

I am linking up with Nicole over at Frontier Dreams.