After reading Scouts meme a couple of days ago, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I had tears in my eyes, and am deeply saddened that she doesn't have her mother to share in her life anymore. Scouts mother sounds a lot like my mother. My mother has so much style in everything she does. She has knit since I was a baby, and her old Vogue Knitting Magazines are some of my prized possessions. I know that everyday with my mother in my life is a gift.

So, for scout:
1. How and when did you learn to knit? Who taught you?

Of course, you guessed it, my mother taught me to knit. It was in the 80's when I was in college at the University of Kentucky. My family spent Christmas in Jupiter Florida. I had a 3 week break. My sisters and father went back north, and my mother and I were left alone. (yay!) I had watched my mother knit for years, and didn't show much interest in knitting myself. Why knit when you have an expert that will knit for you? However, since Florida was having unusually cold weather, and I couldn't "lay-out" I asked my mom to teach me to knit. We made a trip to the local yarn store in West Palm Beach. (I remember that the woman who owned the yarn shop smoked, and all of the yarn smelled of smoke. Can you even imagine that today?)
We bought red, black and white wool yarn, and I started my first garment. A striped sweater. Yup, jump right in and never look back. We sat in our jammies everyday until the afternoon,watching movies and knitting. It was so great, and such a special time I will never forget. It is perfect having someone sitting next to you that can help you with all of the mistakes. And, when I boarded that plane back to Lexington, I was wearing my new hand knit sweater!

2. How has this craft impacted your life?

Wow, it has been my life, truly. I have knit for a boyfriend, my husband (although not much, he is too hot in sweaters), babies, children and friends. I have knit while doing everything, all of the usual and even lots of "unusual" things. I don't know what I would be doing without it. I think that my children just think that the needles are an extention of my fingers. I have my knitting with me at all times, and never leave the house without it. And, I have been like this for almost 20 years!!!!!!!!!!! The deep bond that my mother and I share from this is amazing........

3. Pick at least one person to talk about who you have met through the knit world and why you are thankful to have met them.

Hmmmm, I really don't have anyone to talk about except my mother. She has been the one that I turn to for everything........on knitting and in life. Years ago when I was knitting it was like we were the only two. We would wait for months for the new vogue knitting magazines to come in the mail. It was nothing like today with all of the books, stores and resources we have. I have been reading knitting blogs for a while now, and I guess I can say that I am thankful for knitting blogs and the people behind them. They remind me that I am not alone in my addiction. But, of course what I am most thankful for are my times with my mother. She lives in Florida now, but we still get together daily over the phone with our knitting and coffee.

Pretty scary: I can't seem to part with these. They are my early 90's vogue knitting sweaters.........first attempt at intarsia. "the world and "the universe" I promise, I don't wear them!

This is the Fall/Winter '67 Voque Knitting for 75c and this is my favorite picture from when I was young of my mother and I.