Passing On Family Traditions

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with one of the mothers I met through my kids school.  While our kids played in the sprinkler together, we sat out side watching -- and crocheting.

Cindy is hoping to keep a family tradition alive after the passing of her beloved Mother-In-Law this past spring.  It seems that her MIL would crochet slippers for the entire family and give them out every year at Christmas.   When I learned how close Cindy was to her, and that she had no clue how to make slippers, I presented her with a little gift.  Yes, it was a pattern book on slippers, and I told her I'd help her if she needed it.

So here we sat, enjoying the great outdoors, going over how to read printed instructions.  Cindy knew how to crochet, but she didn't know the names of the stitches she was creating.  But we soon fixed that.  Before long, she was increasing, decreasing, and whipping around (man! she's a fast crocheter!) so that by the time we were ready to leave, she had one slipper nearly complete.  At the rate she's going, I have no doubt that she'll be able to carry on the slipper tradition!

Her oldest son, a fourth grader, kept checking up on us.  At one point I asked him if he'd like to learn.  He asked, "Is it hard to do?"  I said, "No. It just takes practice, and all that it is, really, is a series of loops built upon other loops."

So later, just before we left, he asked his mother if he can learn too.  She looked at him and said she'd teach him after she was done with her slippers.  She asked him what he'd like to make -- a scarf perhaps?  He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know, but that sure looks like fun." 

Not wanting to miss an opportunity to encourage a youngster to pick up the hook, I told them about how a local store has some camouflage yarn ... perhaps he'd be interested in getting a skein to make his first scarf. 

... it looks promising.  J

My nephew, also a fourth grader, IM'ed me this morning (Instant Messaged) and we got to chatting about crochet.  I knew my mother had taught him how, and so I inquired on how he was doing with it.  He said to me that he's ready to learn more.  Hmmmmmm ... one of my local stores is having a sale on pattern books this week ... I think I'll pay them a visit and see if there's anything "boy" oriented I can get to surprise him with ...