Teachy Monday

Today I taught 3 private lessons. I am enjoying my private students very much. Most come regularly-once or twice a week-just like piano lessons. We talk a lot in an hour of knitting per week--I mean shoot, I don't talk to many of my friends for a whole hour in a week. As a result, I get to know these women pretty well. They are good women, and it is truly satisfying to see them progress on their projects. Here are some of my favorite things happening with students right now (Names have been replaced by letters):

-A's family told her they think the blanket she is making is ugly (it is not) but she has decided not to listen to them any more and be proud of her work. That made my day because she sometimes does listen to them and will abandon projects because she feels ashamed of them.

-B's daughter is getting married and I found a pattern for a knitted Chuppah, which is the Jewish Wedding Canopy, that (even though it might sound weird) is incredibly beautiful. It is lace, like a shawl, made of silky white yarn held together with a strand of silver.



I suggested she make it. She was afraid she couldn't do it, but decided to try. She's doing great. I LOVE it when people change their minds about their abilities.

-C is 77 years old and is recovering from multiple health issues in the past couple of years. She used to be a master knitter. Now, she has trouble with numbness in her fingers and is not "getting" the instructions as well as she used to. She won't give up though, and is determined to finish the two projects she is working on. She is learning to be patient with herself and honor the progress she makes each time we meet. She is an inspiration to me.

How blessed I feel to be part of these women's lives. I hope that they will always leave our sessions feeling stronger about their abilities, never doubting themselves more than they already sometimes do.

Today's catalog count is 21. That's TWENTY-ONE! IN ONE DAY! Holy cow. The winner for the most random, unheard of, never ordered from catalog is.....Bits and Pieces. It is a puzzle company. Some of their offerings are quite cool, if you like puzzles. Some are, well, not so much. They have, among other things, Native American Russian Nesting Dolls. Hmmm. Is it possible that cross-cultural understanding can go too far? Mostly though, I hope that someone has been helped along in the quest for the perfect gift.