224 days

I've been promising R that I would teach him to knit when he turns 6 in February.  One day in the car, he insisted that he can't possibly wait that long and pronounced that he wanted to learn to knit 55 days before his birthday.  I agreed.  Then, he decided that he would prefer to have my mom, Mor Mor (that's Mother's Mother in Norwegian) to teach him. 

Yesterday, Mor Mor came out from Seattle.   Last night, she asked him if he wanted to learn.  I was prepared for this day.  Awhile back I picked up some Lion Brand kids needles.  One is red, the other blue so you don't have to say "left" needle and "right needle".   I've collected and read magazine articles about teaching children to knit over the years.  I wrote down a rhyme on an index card: "Under the fence.  Catch the sheep.  Back we come.  Off we leap."  I pulled some appropriate yarns out for him to choose from.  By the time dinner was over and we were ready to start, it was bedtime.

First thing this morning after breakfast:

After a couple rows, we packed up and headed to a tea party at a friend's house.  She puts out piles of dress up clothes, hats, wigs, shoes, and jewelry for everyone to wear, then we pick out a spoon from her collectible ones on the wall and a cup and saucer from the shelves.  After the bell is rung, we have tea with cream and honey and all sorts of goodies.  She passes a globe from one person to the next.  Each person finds where their spoon is from and tells a story about how we get from the previous person's place to their own and describes where we'll drink tea there.  Then we all toast and sip tea.  This time we "went" to all sorts of places, such as the Statue of Liberty, Tangiers, Austria, Haight-Ashbury, Norway, Arizona, London, and we traveled by horse & carriage, airplane, boat, school bus, upon the backs of blue herons, and much more!

We climbed into the tree house, swung on the hammock and rope swing, and picked strawberries in the garden. The children who first started attending these tea parties years ago are now in college!  Sometimes they make guest appearances.

Returning home, Mor Mor and I took turns knitting a few more stitches with R while I made pasta and fruit salad, and we all piled back into the car with C, too, and spent the evening at the lake.

Fabulous day. By the way, it's 224 days until R's birthday.

 

Comments

[Jen]

In the short time I've read your blog I've really come to admire the thoughtfulness with which you are living your life and raising your boys. I'm blown away with the wonderful lessons and traditions you are passing along to your children!

Are you teaching them Norwegian as well?

Ha det bra!

[Stephanie]

Oh, I loved reading this! My daughter (5) is really into spool knitting and can knit with me sitting right next to her, giving constant guidance, but has yet to hit her stride. Where did you get those great kid needles?