Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Care-full Knitting

The Greater St. Louis Knitter's Guild has a popular charity knitting program - almost anything one could want to knit will find a good home thanks to the dedicated volunteers. Hats for newborns, kids and chemo patients, squares for rescued animals, and clothes and blankets for families in need, all come from the talented needles of the Guild membership. Generous people and businesses donate the yarn, so the members simply have to knit.

I participate by knitting baby/child hats, but I must confess, my reasons are not particularly lofty. I do it because I can, because it's quick, and because I can knit something I personally don't want to use. As I said, not very idealistic. But my sensibility has been raised by a comment from the Guild Vice President for Community (read charity knitting).

Our current VP, Pat, may have inherited the title of nicest woman (title was previously held my my maternal grandmother until her death a few years ago). I don't imagine Pat has ever had a catty thought or spoken a harsh word about anyone. Almost all her knitting these days is for children, and for charity. Last weekend she was agonizing over a row of decreases that didn't live up to her expectations. Everyone told her it looked fine (which it did) and that the recipient likely wouldn't even notice.

A while later she made a comment to me: Maybe a parent won't hit a child while wearing something I've knit - they might like it if someone compliments their child's appearance.

Wow.

I haven't stopped thinking about that statement. I cast on a few more hats, and plan to do a few sweaters, not just because I can, but because maybe she's right.

3 comments:

  1. I love when Pat comes up and talks. She's clearly really passionate about charity knitting, and she inspires me to keep it up.

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  2. Is this another challenge? Seems slightly veiled...not that I'm competitive and would think of this as another challenge...oooh I duz like the challenge!

    And have you ever noticed I only knit the "girl" stuff for Pat - there is a serious lack of pink and lilac and BEADS at my house!

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  3. Pat amazes me too. She is wonderful.

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