Knitting: the Story for Another Day

I started knitting when Ben was about two...and stopped after my first project: a sweater for him. It was an adorable forest green and ecru striped number; long sleeves and a crew neck.

Three years ago I got the crazy idea to start knitting mittens. They were made of wool and I felted (or shrank) them to make them a little more weather resistant. Not being one to do anything half-hearted, I made them for friends for Christmas (about12 pairs - One of my friends uses them as hotpads. That works!), Missionaries (3), and family members (5). Yup, three years later I'm still 'Mitting Nittens'! If you have not been a recipient and would like to be, please email me...

Fast forward to Girls Camp (this will be year 17 for me, not including my five years as a youth). This year I'll be hiking with the fourth level girls for three days and two nights. At our regular camp we thought we'd have to be sleeping in tents because we have so many young women attending this year. The Stake Camp Director asked me to come up with a way to make it easier on the 4th level to have to sleep in tents, and I came up with a brilliant idea: knit hats for all of them. (I had a pattern I was dieing to try!)

The fact that there are 25 girls in this level this year was only a small negative: I'd get help! I enlisted four friends, three of whom didn't know how to knit. So, I taught them! Tracy was really motivated and made four hats. (She actually made one had twice because she was so unhappy with the finished product. She spent hours and hours working to get the stitches just right.) Julie was a natural and got four hats done quickly. Carol already knew how to knit and was going to treatment sessions with her husband every other day. I got a hat from her after each treatment; nine in total. Jessica picked things up pretty rapidly. I had to start her over a couple of times. She had enough yarn for twohats, although I tried to take the second ball from her because she was busy doing other things and not knitting...I ended up finishing the second hat this week; the week before camp!

I couldn't leave it at 25; one for each girl! We had to do one for each leader, including the certification leader (4), and one for each YCL (3), and two for the dad's who are hiking with us! Total: 35. (If you are counting, you'll notice there is one extra hat. What if we have another girl show up at the last minute?) Whew! I'm glad that project is finished!