August 21, 2004
Teaching others...
From August 2000-2003 I worked at a residential treatment facility with teenage girls. It was a huge growing experience for me, and it was the best 3 years of my life so far. I lived and ran a house, 24/7, with up to 18 teenagers and about 12 college graduates who were their "big sisters". At some point during those 3 years, to save my sanity, I learned to knit...and the rest is history! Since I left over a year ago, I still go back occasionally to teach people to knit, and that's how I spent my Saturday night. It was really fun! I love to see the light dawn for people who have no knowledge about the knitting process. It reminds me why I love it so much. I love to create with my own two hands. Knitting has not only brought a lot of fun hats, sweaters, and scarves into my life, it has provided a way "in", if you will, with people that wasn't there for me before. I would be riding the lite-rail to school and strangers will come up to me and start conversations. People want to know what I'm making, what yarn I'm using, and they want to feel it. An older gentleman stopped me the other day when he saw me knitting socks and told me his mother used to make him socks and it made him happy to see a young girl doing that. Awww! How cute is that! Then there is the world of knitting blogs, which has helped me make many new friends. I have much more confidence in my knitting skills due to all the positive feedback I get in my comments. So thank you to all of you who read and comment! You know who you are! My advice to anyone who loves to knit, is to pass it on!!
This is my goofy friend RayLynn modeling a few of my finished projects that I brought as examples to show the girls. I taught her to knit about a year ago and she is my #1 student! She's the best!!
