Knitting memories walk for Mother’s Day

Knitting family patterns and passing on your love of knitting. 

Knitting memory walk with Mom.

Get your mom moving and out of the house this Mother’s Day. Think about a knitting memory walk. The best gift you can give your mom is to be with her.  A knitting memory walk is a time to talk about knitting memories and to get her moving.  Walking and talking so you can get some history about her knitting memories and that of other relatives.  Take you knitting along if it works for you…just get out and get moving.  This creates lasting memories and stories we can tell our kids about grandma’s generation.  We all save pictures, recipes, and other special things from our families. We intend to pass them on to our kids someday but many of us are finding they don’t want things. Maybe creating a memory and passing a skill to them would be more valuable and something they would be interested in.  Jeanie, my knitting student, has been teaching her grandkids to knit and sew.  She shared some great pictures and passed on a skill that her grandkids will always remember.  Knitting is a perfect way to connect all 3 generations and give our kids a treasure that will last. 

Knitting Family Patterns.

I started visiting with my mom about knitting years ago when I was in high school.  I dropped out of accounting class and transferred into creative textiles class. Little did I know it would lead to my love of knitting.  My teacher, Mrs. Thiede, inspired me with different projects and ideas.  I loved the macramé and knitting.  Mom pulled out a box of knitting supplies and her beginning knitting book.  She helped me buy yarn and practice casting on.  I still have the book and I think mom still has the mittens I knit her for Mother’s Day years ago.  We still enjoy going to yarn stores and knitting dishcloths together.  We found a  slipper pattern she had from college when we cleaned my grandma’s attic.   It brought back her memories of knitting with friends after classes in their dorms. She wrote the pattern down as her friend DeeDee dictated it from an old family pattern.  I remember the slippers well…all my sisters and I had a pair. They were all knit in red yarn from the Ben Franklin store, and each had a red pompom on the toe.  Find Nana Elaine’s Slipper pattern in my Keep Moving Membership in the Yoga for Knitters playlist

Passing Knitting on to the next generation 

I am passing on my love for knitting to my niece, Abby.  She was interested in my knitting when she was about 5 years old.  She asked me about my yarn and needles and helped me wind my yarn.  One afternoon we rolled every scrap of yarn I had, she loved it. She began with a knitting spool, and I taught her how to make knit tubes that we would fashion into coaster.   I bought her a small special set of needles when I was on a trip.  We went to a yarn store, and she picked out yarn to knit a scarf for her stuffed animal. She joined a knitting club at school and was so happy to show off what she learned from Aunt Pam.  Someday we will sit together and knit Nana Elaine’s slippers together.  I think we will start with Red Heart Yarn in a bright red color. .  I love the time we spent knitting together.  

Whenever I knit something for my kids, they come with me to pick out the yarn. My son drew a face that he wanted me to knit into a hat for him.  My daughter picked the yarn for her sweater.  Things we will never forget.

I hope this inspires you to take your mom or knitting buddy for a walk and find out about their family stories about knitting.  You might find a treasured pattern in someone’s attic like Mom, and I did.   Get your family involved when you knit for them. 

If you would like to knit with me join my Keep Moving Membership for yoga and knitting and inspiration to keep moving.  The membership has videos, live streaming yoga classes, knit walks, a private social membership to keep in touch and knitting patterns and tips from me. 

Find Nana Elaine’s Slippers inside the membership.
Link here to join.    Keep Moving Membership. 

Thank you,

Pam


James Stokes