May 4, 2004

Rock on, Dude.

A while ago my charming and ever so polite, soft-spoken and average in every way daughter Meg came up to me while I was knitting.

Meg: Mom, I was thinking about knitting some kind of, like, rocker chick like grunge wrist thingie?
(Holy Crap, I love it when my kids knit, and now Meg is suggesting that she design her own stuff! At 12! This is like discovering that in her spare time your 10 year old has been studying university level literature. There are full grown knitters who don't do that. I'm just so full of motherly pride that it's all I can do to not leap up and hug her. It's good that I can resist, because Meg is way too cool to be hugged. I restrain myself and try to look like I don't care. Parenting rule #14 says that you can't let your teenaged daughter see that you like her plan or she will change it. I feign indifference, I remain seated.)
Me: Yeah?
(Like that? Smooth eh? Cool as a freakin' cucumber that's what)

Meg: Yeah, like gloves but with no fingerholes, just a thumb hole or something. You know, like, cool.
Me: Sure...I know what you mean. First you are going to need a tape measure. Then you need to knit a little swatch, then measure your gauge and your wrist and see how many stitches you need to cast on for your wrist. Come see mummy if that's too hard. Once you have that figured out come back and I'll show you how to work double pointed needles. Don't be worried, they are very easy. I'll help you figure out how to make a gusset for your thumb....do you remember how to increase? Maybe I should find you that book, never mind the book...mum will help you. Come sit by me.
(Not bad...not bad. A little too much enthusiasm, I did screw up and say "mummy", I've got to remember to stick to "Mum", otherwise they think I'm talking to them like a baby. Overall, I think it was ok. Inviting, not overwhelming...instructive but respectful. Yeah...I think I'm good)

Meg: Actually Mum....if you could just give me the wool...

Me: Oh...

The child took the wool, disappeared and came back with... Meg-rock-chic-grunge-wrist-thingies.

megrocks

We are not worthy.

My child executed the following knitting manoeuvres, with no assistance from anyone, she just figured it out. She cast on, worked in rounds with double pointed needles, (having determined that a circular would not work, and why) worked paired increases to make a gusset, cast off for the thumb hole, picked up stitches around the hole for the palm and cast off. For bonus round points, she backstitched the words "Rock On" on it.
I can barely speak. It turns out that if you immerse a child in wool for 12 years they pick up a thing or two. Who knew?

I on the other hand, have started a tank top. After Megs' masterpiece, who cares.
starttank

Posted by Stephanie at May 4, 2004 11:07 AM