Note to Tante - don't read this post or you will ruin the surprise! Sorry, I couldn't wait....hehehe
This past August I took the boys to visit family. First stop was Alaska, which deserves a post all to itself. Second stop was Washington State where we have many relatives, both on my side and on Travis' side of the family. I will admit to having a bit of an agenda prior to purchasing those airline tickets and here's the story....
I wanted to re-learn how it is we knit. I suspected it might be a bit like riding a bike, in that my fingers would know exactly what to do given half a chance, but I needed some encouragement to get started. I know for sure that I did knit at some point in my life, after all, I was a Waldorf student. What I am uncertain about is when I stopped knitting and why?? There are pictures of me in my Aunties farm house knitting away sometime in my teens. There are bits and pieces of my knitted work, mostly still on the needles, in my closet (thanks Mom). But now, at the most important time of life to know how to knit, (the time when I am becoming "Tante" and "Auntie") I had forgotten.
My family is filled with fantastic knitters and thanks to them my boys drawers are filled with fantastic sweaters and blankets. I am sure that I could have reminded myself just fine, but really, if possible knitting should be learned from and shared with loved ones. I needed to take a trip and re-learn from my Grandma and Aunties.
I sent messages, along with our itinerary, asking what day we could go to the yarn store and who was up for giving me a refresher course. Of course everyone was up for a trip to the yarn store and many were willing to lend a hand in the re-learning. My boys knew well ahead of time that this was a much anticipated part of our trip, a sort of monumental moment where Mama would add yet another craft to the bulging project bag!
Flights were booked, Aunties and Grandma were on board with project knit, the boys were even excited, what else was needed? Project inspiration of course, and voila, enter baby news. It was decided that I would knit a little sweater for my dear cousin's baby to be, as it was keeping with the family tradition of Aunties knitting for the babes. I am "Tante", which means Auntie in Norwegian, to my cousin's babes as she is to mine, it is an honorary role and one certainly worth learning a new craft for.
The yearn store field trip did come to be, and what a fun day it was. All of us super chatty women milling about the shop ooohing and aaaahing over that fantastic yarn selection and scheming projects current and future. I could not think of a better time. Gavin and I both left with new project bags (Thanks Auntie and Grandma) and yarn, needles, books, fancy tape measures for said project bags and high hopes. Chaz fell asleep the moment we walked in the door and remained that way, in the pack, for nearly two hours, waking just as we left!
It was as I suspected, my fingers remembered the motion and my whole being remembered the rhythm coupled with the sensory input of the clanking of the needles and the fiber in hand, amazing really. My Aunt and I sat at a park bench for some time as she guided me and we continued our chatting.
The completion timing worked out alright too it seems. I wondered each time I found myself rewinding the ball of yarn and starting over, if perhaps I would have to request that another baby be conceived after this one, just to wear my first ever knitted sweater! Sweet Kora has joined the world and once the mail arrives she will have a new "Tante-made" sweater.
I used the pattern for Baby's Pure and Simple Cardigan in Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick and found it to be quite easy to understand. I will admit that all the starting over was due to me getting ahead of myself and not the patterns clarity or design.
Casting on next: a little surprise for my nephew who is due to arrive this Summer!
What's on your needles? I would love to know.
