 |
| Tina snuggling her beloved ALS afghan. |
Got a great idea to weed out my yarn stash. I was an avid knitter and crocheter, as well as a budding spinner and novice designer, and have accumulated a nice stash of specialty yarns over the years. Since getting limb-onset ALS, I lack the fine motor skills to participate in this beloved hobby/therapy. I know I can gather it all up and take it to any senior center but I LOVE these fibers and each skein and ball has a story behind it and I want to be the one to decide who gets each gorgeous piece. Most will go to my daughter who followed in my footsteps and knits and crochets beautifully. Check out the lap afghan she knitted for me in ALS colors last Christmas! (Regrettably, no, I did not teach her.)
 |
| Jennifer crochets first blanket - 2006 |
Through the years crocheting bonded me to my grandmother and knitting bonded me to my mother as each had their specialty. I crocheted to my heart's content with my grandma as a pre-teen and remember visiting Knitwits in Salt Lake City, Utah when visiting on summer breaks from school. Granny squares were a favorite. Mom, on the other hand, would knit afghans, sweaters, and such while I'd stand behind her chair, brushing her hair, and watching her form the mysterious loops and wraps that would grow a beautiful, warm creation. One day I wanted to make a scarf in my school colors and she helped me to form those elusive knits but I didn't like the nubs of garter stitch and insisted to learn the secrets of stockinette, hence the purl stitch. I was content with this simplicity for many years making scarves and eventually a ribbed tube top which was frowned upon but I felt positively wicked in. Unfortunately, I got sidetracked by the struggles of "the real world" and neglected the craft for many years.
 |
| Grandmother Anna M. Howard |
When next I picked up yarn, I fell back on the simplicity of crochet and made some tiny Christmas ornaments for a tiny tree in my studio apartment. I had green and red, and white yarn which made for cheap decorations when I was a starving, struggling "adult" of eighteen. My next foray into the art was to make a blanket, jacket, and booties for my baby girl on-the-way when I was 23 and married.
 |
| Knitting with Emily Rose (niece) |
I was a re-married, busy professional woman working as an executive secretary in a multi-billion-dollar aerospace company who liked to spend her nights and weekends riding her own Harley Davidson Sportster. Knitting and crocheting came roaring back into my life when I saw a woman sitting on the back of a Harley knitting a pair of socks with four toothpick-looking sticks. I talked to my mother who urged me to come to her favorite yarn shop, The Knittery, where I could learn to take my rusty knitting skills of knit and purl and make these wonderous creations. And I did. This became a regular habit and another opportunity to bond with my mother. Eventually, we dragged in my daughter who mastered crochet in record time and crocheted an enormous blanket as her first project. We were floored! She was more than a chip off the old block, she surpassed the block! We also dragged in a niece and one of my girlfriend's daughters to learn the craft.
Back to the task of giving away my treasured stash of fiber...I waited until I had energy after pills and food and started dragging out the totes. One problem, I pooped out so very fast. What did I end up doing? Making a mess for my husband to pick up. Great! Only a few balls and skeins got pulled aside and the rest gets stowed back in the closet to await stronger hands than mine. Perhaps my daughter will help with the allocation. I want to give with a happy heart to others who will make beautiful scarves, tops, tanks, socks, whatever...and maybe, just maybe they will make a little something for me.
 |
| Tina and Berets - 2008 |
Comments
Post a Comment