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Compare and Contrast

While I was home I decided to record a couple of the things Mom knits to share.  Mom is reluctant to be put on stage herself showing her work, however, was OK.  But before we get to her output I should talk about how she taught me to knit.

Mom can crochet but much prefers to knit.  She taught me to knit in the same way she taught me to do many things like cooking or sewing.  She would get me started with all the tools I needed, give me some books to help me if I got hung up and then left me alone.  I found this to be the perfect way for me to learn. Mom didn't hover or nitpick about my errors, she'd let me determine if something needed to be fixed. However, she was available if I asked for help, but I did need to ask.   So here we are 50 years later and we're both still knitting.

A sample of Mom's fall collection of baby hats 
Mom uses her skills in very practical ways.  Most of her great grandchild have a sweater, blanket or other useful piece she has made.  Mom is quite the perfectionist, in fact, one sweater she made was knit and taken apart several times because she couldn't quite get the colour changes done the way she wanted it.  Mom has also knit over 150 newborn toques or hats for the local hospital.  She also gives one to anyone who asks and Dad estimates she's knit over 200 in total.  Members of her church have donated yarn to her so she can turn it into things for the hospital.  Mom's also made prayer shawls for those recovering from cancer, but they were given away so I don't have a photo to show off that handiwork.

One of Mom's more recent projects for the hospital is to make what she calls knitted knockers.  Yes, you read that right.  There are women in the area I come from that don't have health insurance and after a mastectomy cannot afford prosthetics or reconstructive surgery.   Instead they can get for free something my Mom makes.

Mom's knitted knockers
What is most interesting, at least for me, is that Mom's quiet approach to these give aways has inspired other crafters to give to their own hospitals.  She shares her patterns, knowledge on how to make adjustments and encouragement.

So here we are Mom and me both with skills to create.  I choose to invest my skills in whimsical, nonessential things that make me happy or laugh.  Mom, on the other hand, uses her skills to prepare practical gifts for individuals she doesn't know, who may or may not appreciate the care she's used in making that gift for them.   I love the fact that we are so different, it is part of what makes our interactions so interesting.

Thanks Mom for 1) teaching me a skill that has given me a lifetime of activity and 2) for offsetting my goofiness in knitting by making your very functional projects.
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