No Choice

"I wouldn't wear that!" The Most Adorable Granddaughter#5 said with disdain as I asked her to try on the cardigan I was knitting.

I can remember thinking (probably too scared to actually say it) the same thing when my mother chose clothes for me, although I was probably older than Miss Almost Five. There is a gulf between what a mother considers stylish and what a daughter puts in the same category, and I imagine the divide is greater between grandmother and granddaughter, so I was not offended.

But I wondered. Was it the colour? I love blue and naturally gravitate towards my favourite colours when choosing yarn. Perhaps she didn't like it, especially with the flecks of natural brown throughout.

Was it the stitch pattern? Admittedly it was a simple stitch pattern but I thought it complemented the yarn quite well.

Was it something else?

I wasn't sure I wanted to ask, but Miss Almost Five volunteered the information anyway.

"It's too short."

O-kay. I attempted to explain that it wasn't finished but what almost five year old is interested in explanations.




On the other hand, despite the ugliness, DH is happy with his resoled socks. I knitted them three years ago, and hated them then, but since DH presented them to me with holes and areas barely holding together and other obvious signs of wear a few days ago, it is apparent that he didn't share my strong dislike.

Using scraps and bits and pieces too ugly to use in other projects, I removed toe, heel and sole on each sock and knitted up replacements. After a few false starts (my pattern notes were too sparse for a sock I always intended to resole and I made the first toe too short) they are finally done and, hopefully, will last at least another three years. (One day I'm going to write up my pattern for socks that can be resoled again and again and again. In fact, for as long as the leg and instep remain intact.)







The Most Adorable Granddaughter#7 had no say in whether she would wear the cardigan I knitted for her in the car when we visited Gisborne recently. All that sitting and travelling resulted in a sock weight cardigan that she has worn already on several occasions. Next time I'd do it differently (no stripes on the body) but I love - have always loved - the construction of this cardi. And she looks adorable in it! But then, she would look adorable in just about anything.




Comments

Anonymous said…
We're loving #7's cardi, stripes and all. However, those socks are... hideous. Sorry.

Son #2
Jules said…
They are hideous but when they're on, you can't see the green soles, toes or heels. And now I don't have to feel guilty for having balls of yarn going to waste. Perhaps in three years I can replace them with something prettier.