First homework!

Goodness, I've barely had time to unpack my suitcase and we have homework!

I'm choosing to write about who taught me to knit!

I was about 5 yrs old and it was the summer. I spent my early years with my grandparents before I went to school. We were at the cottage and my grandmother was a fantastic knitter. I can't remember if I wanted to learn, or if she taught me. Something tells me it was me that wanted to learn as I like to try things out, and once I know I can do it, I give it up as what's the point if I can do it?

I remember having bright orange needles, and red yarn. I was taught how to simply knit and purl, and my grandmother used the most complicated, but fascinating way of casting on. It looked like she was using her finger as a knitting needle. I made a Barbie blanket and my grandmother casted it off for me. I made a few more of these squares for various small toys. Being 5 yrs old, and knowing I could knit sort of led me to put my knitting aside for years.

Every year for Christmas my father would say he wanted me to make him a scarf, and well I didn't until 10 yrs later when my grandmother thought it was high time to put my father out of his misery. So out again came the needles, and yarn. We choose a simple basket weave pattern, and off I went.

The amount of tears, frustration, and anger at the stupid scarf made me totally not enjoy working that project. I'd make a mistake and get upset, my grandmother would rip it out, and get me back to where I was, and she would add a bit more to make up for lost time! Finally the torturous thing was finished and my father still has it to this day (now 17 yrs later, and even after the incident of the drycleaners!). I told my grandmother that there was no way I was ever knitting again. She told me that when I got older I would want to learn. Suffice to say she was right, but she had passed away 3 yrs previously to me learning to knit.

I retaught myself to knit about 3 yrs ago, and I have cranked out tons of stuff. I wish my grandmother could see that yes I could knit and that I'm fairly decent at it. I even managed to teach myself that magic cast on method where your finger is the other needle. My mother tried numerous times to show me to no avail, but I managed it myself!

I even managed socks for the first time with a book from Emma Wigworthy who was my spoiler three terms ago, funny to say I now have her as my spoilee, and I have a lot to live up to! I also have found a passion for fingerless gloves, and the ever more complicated/fun----lace!

I hope somewhere that my grandmother can see that she started me off on something that is fun, and that I can do as I'm not the most crafty of people (unlike my mother who can do anything). So I owe my knitting to my grandmother, the fluorescent orange needles, and red yarn