One of the cool events that happened at Women’s Retreat was the Knitting Center. Due to Rain in excess, several events had to be re-worked for indoor fun, but the Knitting Center was just fine where it was, tucked into the corner of the dining hall.
I have pictures, but don’t feel like messing with them right now.
Suffice it to say that Yarn Work in many forms and abilities was taking place.
There was a “main” teacher/leader, several of us willing to demonstrate, some observers.
I worked awhile with the 36 peg round loom
the resulting hat was made from the dark teal and ombre seen here
I’ve gotten good enough that a baby hat takes only about an hour to knit.
then I went away for awhile, to the Drum Circle, which will need a story all its own
When I got back to the Knitting Center, some new ladies had come to sit awhile, so when I began a new hat of the light blue ombre, the tale of my loom had to be told all over again.
When I finished the pastels hat, I called down the table to a woman who had mentioned she would be getting a new grandbaby in early December. When she turned, I tossed the finished hat down to her and told her to use it for the new little one.
By then, it was time for supper, so we had a nice break.
After we ate, I discovered our new minister’s wife and daughters visiting over at another table. I asked if I could have the babies awhile, so soon enough, we were in the room behind the fireplace singing and dancing and pulling out toys with great abandon.
After a few minutes, in comes another little girl about 4 years old. I’m not sure if she is a staff member’s daughter or who, but no child is ever a stranger for long when I’m around, so she made herself welcome.
She carried a Bitty Baby doll, from the American Girl line. Obviously a well-loved friend, so something in my head clicked into place.
A different girl about age 10 came in, and I believe she is another child of camp Staff. I asked her to watch the kids for just a minute, while I hurried out to my yarn bag and got the teal and ombre hat.
When I returned to the room, I asked the little momma if I could borrow her baby for a couple minutes.
She handed Biddy over, watching me carefully. I placed the hat on the doll’s head, noticing that it fit ju-ust right.
The look on momma’s face was beautiful.
“Can I take it home with me?” she asked hopefully.
Well, it had not been my intention for this, I had only wanted a model to make sure about the size of the hat. And my mental response tells me that I have been away from the wee littles for far too long.
Once upon a time, I would have anticipated her question.
“YES” is what I told her. I give away most of the items I make, and rarely do I know they would be so greatly appreciated.
For the rest of the evening, the child was going around telling everybody that Biddy had a new hat.
Unfortunately, my camera was not with me while the doll was wearing the hat, but I do have such a nice picture in my mind about a sweet little face, and little voice asking “Can I take it home with me?”
Somebody’s mom was working overtime about teaching good manners.
During the Saturday evening service, I used my peg loom to make another pastels baby hat, the one seen in the picture. I have a request from a grandma for a dozen hats to be given as Christmas gifts.
And now I know they are the proper size.
After lunch on Sunday, a lady came over and asked about the teal and ombre hat. She had not seen the doll model, but when I told her I had given the hat to a little girl, she seemed pleased.
What she had seen was when I had tossed the first pastels hat down the table to the new grandma.
She said that made quite an impression on her, that I sat and worked so long on it, then gave it away, just like that, to somebody I had just met that very day. Which means actually, two hats were given away.
She told me she wants to get to that place in her heart, to be able to let somebody else have joy.
This is just one of the stories I wanted to tell.
It is quite wonderful how much fun and blessing can be packed into one short weekend.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
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