A month or so ago, Little Lady came home from school with a book she'd chosen from the school library. It was called "Made By Me
Truthfully I was not too keen on the idea of attempting to assist her with knitting. Knitting is quite a long way out of my creative comfort zone. I'm not very experienced with the sticks. Hooks yes. But sticks? Uh-uh. Well that's to say that I can knit, and indeed I used to knit a lot as a teenager. I used to knit myself gloves and jumpers and although I cannot quite believe it now, I once knit a cardigan for myself with a cable running up the front. A cable!!! Me doing cabley things with knit sticks, it seems incredible!
Now as well as knitting, this book also covers embroidery and sewing and has some really sweet projects in it.
The sewing pages are a true delight :: beautifully presented and very inspiring.
I loved almost every one of the sewing ideas and would have been thrilled if LL had chosen one of them to have a go at. In fact I even tried to persuade her in this direction by buying her a small bundle of coloured felt squares from a local shop. I enthused a lot about the pretty things she could sew for herself. But to no avail. It was knitting that she had really, really, really set her heart on.
Her desire to learn and her wonderful enthusiasm won me over in the end, and I made her a promise that I would help her learn to knit.
I managed to find some small childs knitting needles in a local shop, and we were all set. We would start out making a small knitted purse, just like the ones on page fifty six. The book has some very good step by step instructions and photographs to explain it all, and without too much trouble we learnt to cast on. When it came to the business of actually knitting I found that amazingly I still remembered how to do it. So between the book and myself, Little Lady was taught the basics. She is a fast learner, and before long she was confident enough to do it without my help.
We spent a truly fabulous morning together :: it was half term holiday and J had taken the boys out for the day leaving us girls at home to do girly yarny stuff together. I was working on The Secret Project (no word yet on when I'll be able to ta-dah that with you, am still waiting for News), and Little Lady was fulfilling her Greatest Wish. I wish you could have seen her, heard her, witnessed the pure joy as her little bit of knitting grew and grew. She kept saying over and over that she couldn't belieeeeeeeeeeeeeeve she was Actually Knitting. I was completely thrilled for her. And I was perilously close to tears...you know how some moments in life seem to become unexpectedly MonuMENtal, even though in essence they are so little? This was one of those big little moments.
Little Lady and her knitting were inseparable for a while. She did it last thing at night and first thing in the morning. She took it with her everywhere and she worked row after row of pretty good knitty. I hoicked back a dropped stitch from time to time, and sorted out some mysterious extra stitches that appeared, but mostly she just managed to do it without help and I felt so proud of her!
Over the past month or so, she worked steadily away at it and we kept on measuring as it grew. It began to get very exciting as she neared the end. Then on Saturday afternoon, she sat on the sofa and declared she would knit four more rows and then it would be Ready To Stitch.
The stitching up of the purse was fun, and she did most of it herself. She stitched on a button, then made a little "finger crochet chain" to form the button loop, then whhhoooooooped with delight when she realised she'd finally finished!!
It was FAB!!!
The little purse is well loved and well used, it's been much showed-off and much admired. And it's the perfect size for holding her lip gloss. Cool.
So that's the story of how Little Lady learnt to knit age six and three quarters.
She's already started her next project (a little blue owl, a present for Daddy to brighten up his work desk).
One FO and a WiP already on the go, that's my girl ♥
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Edited to add :: a note from Little Lady............
a big thank you for all of your lovley comments, and i realy apreasheat all your lovely thauts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOP TIP!be confident about your work and it turns out lovley,i am really exited about my owl
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God bless the lil gal...i know she is much grown.up now...but i can understand how fabulous that moment would have been...
Posted by: Ankita Vj (India) | September 03, 2015 at 08:23 AM
Wow. Congratulations to the both of you! I love to knit, and this is definitely a good way to bond with my daughter. Knitting is an ideal home business, especially for the full-time moms out there. :D
Posted by: Cameron Scott | November 21, 2011 at 12:34 PM
How old is your daughter? My eldest duaghter is 6/7 year old and this summer she wanted to start and she got a bit done. I'm worried its a bit too soon, so not pushing her, but she seemed to enjoy it.
Posted by: Christine | September 10, 2011 at 10:35 AM
Liked your site. Looks like simple but awesome. Please keep this to update!
Posted by: United Gold Direct | July 16, 2011 at 05:32 PM
Very nice.
Posted by: Becky | June 26, 2011 at 02:47 AM
Thats brilliant such tidy knitting bless!
Jilly x
Posted by: Jilly | May 12, 2011 at 09:52 AM
I absolutely LOVE this website!!!!!!
Posted by: ann | May 11, 2011 at 07:47 PM
oops! sorry for duplicating my comment, i thought the first one hadn't worked (i'm such a technodweeb, doh!).
but then again, this post certainly deserves double praise (triple now :o)
lots of love xxx
millie muddleboots
Posted by: amelie | April 26, 2011 at 06:21 PM
hello Lucy and your lovely young lady. this is a super project and very sound advice too ;o) i am soooo looking forward to the next knitting adventure.
i hope you Attic peeps are all having a lovely holiday!
warmest hugs xxx
millie
Posted by: amelie | April 26, 2011 at 06:12 PM
hello Lucy and your lovely young lady. this is a super project, so very well made and very sound advice too ;o) i am soooooo looking forward to seeing the next one.
i hope you are all having a fun holiday!
lots of love and hugs xxx
Posted by: amelie | April 26, 2011 at 06:04 PM
Oooh I love that book, it's wonderful! And kudos for your little lady (and yourself) to have the patience to start knitting (my aunty onces taught me, and I wanted to use the sticks on her, oh boy, I hated it!)
I can knit tough... scarfs... and euh. Hats. With a nifty knitter. So erm, I cheat. Yes. I also appreciate hooks, not sticks or needles ;)
Lovely results thought, I bet she is SO proud!
Posted by: Nienie | April 21, 2011 at 02:40 PM
Hi and Congrats to LL for learning to knit and doing a good job!
I was going to suggest that she start with a knitting block or mushroom but it looks like she is way beyond needing those.
I still have yet to learn knit or crochet, but if I do decide to learn knitting, it will be with a knitting block for me!
Posted by: Maureen | April 20, 2011 at 07:37 PM
In a minute I read your blog, I borrowed a copy from our local library for my daughter. She has been having a lot of fun reading and using the book since. This is what my daughter has to say...I am a very crafty girl,so I am enjoying "Made By Me". Thank you very much for recommending this book! oxoxox
Posted by: Elizabeth Moore | April 20, 2011 at 05:45 PM
I am so pleased for her Lucy! It made you feel like crying...? I sat and blubbed as I thought how wonderful it is when our children are amazed and delighted by things that they can do. The extreme welling up of happiness and love I feel for my daughters at those points just can't be contained! It's such a shame that we become so used to things around us that that amazement and delight seem to dry up as we age.
Well done to the Little Lady for such a wonderful achievement - I can't wait for my DD to start knitting :)
Posted by: mummypig | April 19, 2011 at 02:01 AM
Oh I'm sat here reading this post with tears in my eyes!!
What a little sweetie you have! my own DD learnt to knit from her Granny and likes to get the sticks out now and again...
Im just learning to crochet *Gulp* and have made a yarn bag as i was so inspired by you!!
Best wishes
xx
Posted by: Lisa | April 18, 2011 at 09:05 AM
you idea is very good,but pls see our moncler men jacket
Posted by: ella | April 14, 2011 at 03:15 AM
you idea is very good,but pls see our moncler men jacket
Posted by: ella | April 14, 2011 at 03:14 AM
we have that book, love it. Its also a book we give as gifts to all my daughters friends :)
Posted by: Leonie | April 13, 2011 at 11:13 AM
This is so sweet and lovely. You've brightened my day right up! I remember my grandmother trying to teach me crochet at a young age - I broke one of her hooks clean off somehow. I like to think she sees me knitting and crocheting now and smiles down on me from above.
Posted by: Ingrid | April 11, 2011 at 08:51 PM
Love.. Love ... Love it! How precious!
Posted by: Tammy | April 09, 2011 at 08:46 PM
Hi Lucy, I just found this and HAD to show it to you http://www.cottontailsbaby.co.uk/product/moulin-roty-sewing-suitcase a bit expensive but SO LOVELY don't you agree?
Posted by: aishakenza | April 08, 2011 at 09:21 PM
Wow Lucy
A chip off the old block, you must be so proud. Tell little lady well done from me and I look forward to seeing her at the shop.
Jo
Posted by: Jo | April 08, 2011 at 04:19 PM
Lucy , I remember how my lovely grandma helped knit when I was five and how my mistakes were magically fixed overnight. Hand made and home made are the best presents of love.
LL's blue owl will say a I love you as do ALL of the fabulous,sparkly, rainbow filled treasures you make your family- woollen hugs and kisses that last for generations. Love your work....
Posted by: Carolyn | April 08, 2011 at 01:46 PM
Well done LL & Lucy, my bookclub at work is selling this book for a very reasonable price...so I may get it on both your recommendations, and squirrel it away for Christmas - little lady is only 6 and a quarter, I think the half a year or so will make all the difference in her concentration :). Look forward to seeing LL's next creation.
Posted by: Camilla | April 06, 2011 at 10:17 PM
After reading your blog I ordered the Made By Me book and when it came was so pleased. How I wished that this book was around when I was a young girl. My grand daughter keeps asking me to teach her to knit but since she's only just 5 I'm trying to hold her off till she's a bit older so she doesn't get discouraged. We are going to go over the book together when I first give it to her and maybe she will find another project that she likes better for now. Your little girl did a great job with her first knitting project. I too love your blog!
Posted by: Ann | April 06, 2011 at 03:29 PM