In the waiting room at the doctor's office this afternoon, I was knitting a sock which was noticed by my cohabitants. A woman older than me was there with her mother, who commented that her mother knit all the family's socks. This was after the war she said, and everyone in the community knit socks. In fact, the neighbours used to bring their socks to her mother for her to turn the heel. She turned the heels for everyone in the area.
I was puzzled by this. Why not just teach the other knitters how to turn a heel? It's tricky the first time, but after that, it's almost the best part of working a sock. Aha! That must be it. I'll bet she was keeping the best part of the knitting for her self.
I think so. And also it's wonderful when people think that you're clever.
ReplyDeleteAnd think of the glory saving all these knitters from what they imagined was the least fun part of the sock! Maybe they would also bring her offerings for her turned heels, so it would be an even more awesome task - like chocolates and pastries and cheese. Hey, cheese is delicious.
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny!
ReplyDeletePlus maybe they were bringing her all kinds of home baked goodies and treats as a way of saying thank you. It is always interesting the conversations that come up when you knit a sock in public!
ReplyDeleteIt was also a nice way to make her feel useful and part of the community. You know, "Hey, let's go visit her and bring her our heels to turn."
ReplyDeleteDo you think I could get her to knit the whole sock for me? Not just turning the heel?
ReplyDeleteI'm just wrapping up teaching a class where I had 2 knitters s-t-r-u-g-g-l-e with a (read: one) short row heel. I, gladly, would have knitted them had it not been them paying me money to teach them... Tee hee.
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