My child prodigy

A little over a year ago, a young girl of 12 1/2 years, along with her mother walked into the restaurant where the knitting group I belong to was meeting. The two of them walked over and began inquiring as to what we were doing, did we always meet there, was there room for a young person that was interested in learning to knit, etc.? The whole lot of us encouraged "C" to please join us the following week (Mom didn't have the desire or time), bring some needles and yarn, and promised she would be knitting before the night was over. When she showed up the following week, I was more than happy to teach her, and she did quite well. However, being the typical pre-teen, it seemed as the next several months went by, her interest began to dwindle. She would show up with a few of her friends, and they would do what young people her age do...talk on their phones, text each other, and share an occasional meal with each other. It was becoming more of a social hour for "C", but they didn't really bother anybody, so we left them be. Summer came and she left to spend it with her grandparents in Canada. When the school year started back up again, it seemed she would start a project, but rarely finish it. Christmas was on the horizon, so we did see her knitting scarves, hats, and fingerless mitts for her friends, but not many. She wanted to learn lace, so Lew, our lace knitter extraordinaire worked with her, and she only brought her project back I think one time and from that point on, there was always an excuse of why she didn't have it with her the following week. After a few weeks, she finally returned his needles and pattern book, and I think Lew and I both were quickly losing faith in her, even though we knew what she was capable of. A couple of weeks ago, she showed up to knit night with a pair of fingerless mitts she had knitted. I never got to see them up close, but I believe there were cables! Early on when I was teaching her, I told her that if she ever got in a place where she didn't understand something, she could look it up on youtube, as well as a couple of other websites I told her about. Apparently, that's what she did for cables!

Last week, "the child" (what we so fondly call her), showed up with a renewed sense of enthusiasm, and announced she wanted to knit her first sweater. So, my first thought was why not...we could rally 'round her and get her started on a simple top down raglan. She would have none of that! She wanted something with detail, something with a challenge, and she already had something in mind. When she showed it to us, I tried my best to discourage her, while my friend, Toni, did the opposite and felt "C" could pull it off. I finally relented when I saw there was no changing "the child's" mind. I thought to myself...who knows, with that kind of determination, maybe she would do fine.  

This is one instance where I'm ecstatic to have been wrong. This now 14 year old girl, in her first year of high school, showed up to knit night last night with a phenomenal piece of work!! I couldn't stop staring at her accomplishment of the front part of her sweater and a half of a sleeve. She surpassed any boundaries I had placed on her, and I'm thrilled she was not afraid to take that leap. For her first sweater ever, she chose Inishturk, a free online Lion Brand pattern. Everything about her work, her tension, her gauge, the stitch definition, is spot on!!! Lew and I are in total agreement that this young woman is a natural, and one day, I will be asking for her autograph as the next new knitwear designer! She has proven she has the enthusiasm, the desire, the talent, and a no fear attitude. I am so proud to be able to show you "C", and her very first sweater in progress!