Passing on the skill of knitting

Passing on the skill of knitting

A wonderful story about a bairn who wanted to learn to knit.

At Purple Patch spring fair on Sunday I had just finished setting up my
Patching workshop. The first person to arrive at my stall was a
wonderful human who knew exactly what he wanted to do. I asked ‘Would
you like to try some sewing?’

He replied ‘No, I want to learn how to do that.’ He pointed at the
knitting needles in my basket. (This was the first time I had brought
knitting needles with me to a patch workshop - syncronicity? I think
so!)

I then taught him how to cast on and knit.

He asked how I learned and I told him “My Gran Susie”

Whilst I was teaching him, my own memories of being taught to knit by Gran
Susie came back to me and I started chanting her chant “Under, over,
through, off” it was pretty special teaching him in the exact same way
as my Gran Susie taught me. It was a full circle moment of passing on
those exact skills she taught me onto a new generation of knitter!

My wonderful student got tired very quickly and needed lots of rests. He
had some great knit goals “I want to knit the longest scarf and get in
the book of guiness world records!”

I said this was a great goal to have!
After one row he said “Why isn’t it getting any longer?” I told him that it
takes a while but the more we practice and get in our flow, it will
eventually get longer and longer. We just keep going.

Later in the day I met his mam and she was so excited that I had shown him
how to knit. She told me - “that morning he had woken up and said he
wanted to learn to knit, so his Gran was going to take him into town to
buy some wool and knitting needles, but instead they came to the fair
and found me as soon as they got to Purple Patch. It felt as though this
was all meant to happen.” :)

It really was meant to happen.

I am so grateful for Gran Susie’s patience, knowledge, love and skills.
And I am also really grateful for my new pal’s patience and willingness
to learn too! Go Generation Alpha!