Tag Archives: attitude

Miranda’s Lesson

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IMG_1147This is Miranda and the mermaid sweater that she knitted. She knitted it without a pattern. She’s been knitting for about a year. Let me make sure you hear what I’m saying (writing?) … She designed the sweater by herself. Without a pattern! She found the mermaid online and knitted it into her sweater with only about a year of experience. Note that each sleeve is different: One with a two-color cable and the other with fish swimming around the cuff end. I am simply in awe of such a fearless knitter.

I was fortunate to meet Miranda at Knit Night and also to have her in a class last week. She picks up a concept very quickly and even if she is struggling with size 1 (US) needles and sock-weight yarn, she has a great attitude. Telling herself “I can do this” just quietly enough that I could hear her but not loud enough to hear throughout the shop. And I think what I’ve learned from Miranda is that if we practice encouraging self-talk, we can do anything that we want. We should not fear trying new things.

Learning hexipuffs

Learning hexipuffs

Miranda’s attitude is in stark contrast to some of the adult students who don’t share the same habit of cheering herself along through a challenging project or technique or just something new. We learned hexipuffs, i-cord … and that when we use positive self-talk, we can accomplish much more than if we beat ourselves down because we aren’t immediately proficient at a task.

A good lesson and an impressive teacher. Thanks, Miranda!

Gone knitting!

 

“Can Do”

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I have so enjoyed my teaching experience so far.

Today we had a short day – one class and then lunch with the Yarn Nook girls and off we went to sit at my brother & sister-in-law’s house on the back patio and knit! (Like we don’t get enough of it!) It felt good to have a short day after yesterday which was our marathon knitting and teaching day. We will probably not stay all day next week when I have three classes! Even crazy old me needs a break!

I love the challenge of teaching a student who is really stretching herself in a class. Challenging herself to do something that is really difficult and, perhaps, even something that she may not be ready to attempt yet. Those fearless knitters are the ones I admire. Partly because it’s so gutsy. Partly because I was not that type of knitter. Or at least that’s not how I classify myself.

There is a lot to be said for trying something that’s really difficult. It’s good for our brains, it’s good for our souls. The sense of accomplishment is incredible when you finally “get it!” I am happy with the progress that all of my students have made. They’ve worked hard. They’ve (mostly) had that “can do” attitude and it’s such fun to be teaching such a great group of women!

Gone knitting!

 

I See Old People

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Another road trip. To Naples, FL, this time … to visit N’s mother who is in a lovely Assisted Living facility here.

Getting old really sucks. All of her friends and her husband are dead. “Nobody” (we interpret this as “nobody who I can remember or really care about) visits her. The aides who work on her wing, at least a few of them, have a HUGE chip on their shoulders and the attitudes make her feel threatened to the point that she feels unsafe at times. I can’t imagine being dependent on people who come into your room (her only home, likely for the rest of her life) with a grimace on their face, people who can’t even grunt out a semi-pleasant greeting, who leave you sitting on the toilet knowing you can’t get yourself up or help yourself. Unacceptable behavior for “care-givers” paid to be helpful.

Visits are getting more difficult and Nanny’s getting more difficult to please as her words are becoming less numerous and more difficult to retrieve. Communication is wacky – with “no” being the first response to every inquiry but often followed by a “yes” or a few words strung together slowly. We’re finding that we have to speak more slowly and distinctly and a lot louder! We are learning a lot about patience and are able to wait much longer for her to figure out how to respond.

I wish there were a way to remove yourself from the world of the living when you feel that your life is no longer worth living and when you’ve got no quality of life.

On the flip side, it incentivizes me and reminds me to get moving and to keep my life and mind active and full today … we don’t know what will happen tomorrow.

Gone knitting!