Mom and I have been bitten by the knitting bug, which is much more pleasant than it sounds. Over the past 6-8 weeks, we have created many items to donate, which has been a great use of time. I mentioned this is a prior post – doing something useful.
This has been a challenging operation. In her day, Mom was a master knitter who could follow complex patterns and make beautiful things. Now, she is challenged by patterns for beginning knitters. The hats and cat blankets have turned out looking pretty good! We tried to make a variety and I think have succeeded from that perspective.
Even though the hats seemed pretty easy to do, for some reason, some turned better than others, so I am trying to figure out how to improve them and make them more interesting for the kids. I’m tweaking the hats in my bedroom after she goes to bed – a pom pom here and a little trim there. I’ll post another picture (with better lighting) after these have been “finalized” and we add in a few more new ones that haven’t been finished.
It’s hard for both of us to face the decline of Mom’s skills. Sometimes while knitting, she was so frustrated that she would quietly cry as she tried to fix mistakes like dropped stitches or pattern errors. It was heartbreaking and I could do nothing to make it better. I am so saddened by this change that I can hardly bear it … and yet I am so proud of her for trying everyday to make something beautiful and for sticking with it even when it seems impossible.
The cat security blankets or mats were also quite fun. We tried to make a variety of shapes and sizes. Mom made a few of these but I made most of them. There are more to come – at least two are in the laundry and another couple are in progress.
We have enjoyed working on our offerings to the children and cats of Baltimore, and look forward to making more hats for the kiddies and security blankets for the kitties. This has not only been a great way to keep busy, but it has helped Mom focus and given her an opportunity to work through problems and challenging situations to achieve something.
We also will look for other ways to contribute to the community. It’s good for the heart to give to others and good for the soul to find a way of being useful.
my mother, my cat and me 
These are worthwhile contributions to the well being of other people and critters. You both are to be congratulated for the projects–they look good to me. To not abandon a task just because it’s harder than it used to be is commendable. I hope neither of you will become too discouraged. I’m glad you shared this, Susan. It’s easy to share successes but rewarding to share both, imo.
LikeLike
Thanks, Deb! We are doing the best we can, which is all we can do. I think the realization that we are helping others will keep us going. Mom was so excited at the prospect of being able to help … to be useful … that I anticipate we will be knitting for quite some time. Thanks for the encouragement and support.
LikeLike