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Friday, March 31, 2006

Trevor thanks you all for the birthday wishes. He did indeed get extra treats, and has decided that everyday should be like that, as has been made clear by the inordinate amount of begging today.

As for me, Friday mornings are always a little challenging for me - in a good way. I have a blind student who's been coming for a few months finishing up a sweater for her son. She's really great, and sweet, and a good student, but it's challenging to try to explain knitting to her without being able to say "see this loop..." I'm her third knitting teacher, and I still don't understand why the woman who started her on the current sweater chose to start her on something in parts - two sleeves, a front and a back - which she then would have to pin and sew together. Sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to a blind student, if you ask me. For her next sweater I'm teaching her EPS.

So she worked her way in this morning, and got to work on the final inches of the second sleeve (I bucked the pattern she was given and she did top down sleeves in the round on two circs instead of having something else to sew) and in walked a large man and his small girlfriend... with a long white cane.

It seems I've developed a reputation as being the knitting teacher in the area who can teach the blind. And the greatest irony of this is that she turned down a class with my LYS (where I would love to teach some classes) because their beginning knitting teacher hasn't taught anyone blind. Huh.

This woman had never had knitting at all, so I was starting from scratch. And her sweet, yet controlling, and still slightly co-dependant (sighted) boyfriend was interested as well. But she wouldn't let him get supplies to learn. They argued a significant amount of the class, and were jovial and affectionate the rest of the class, and it was very odd. But they'll be back ("they" because he won't let her use a taxi service for the blind) and only she will take the class (because she won't let him knit).

I was thoroughly mentally exausted by the end, and have chosen to spend the rest of the day on the couch with knitting. Simple knitting. Nothing that requires thought.

And for Bess

My first (and currently only) daffodil of the season. I do have an itty bitty baby jonquilian bud on some tiny sprouts next to this one, where I think it split already, but other than that (and the fabulous temperatures), the only signs that Spring has hit the great Nawthun expanse of Baltimore...

7 Comments:

Blogger Miss Knotty said...

Phew! Teaching knitting to blind people and emotional drama - that makes for a full day.

Beautiful daffodil!

-The Whimsy

1:21 AM  
Blogger Catherine said...

I'm amazed by blind people who knit - I struggle if I don't wear my reading glasses! The co-dependent pair sound like they will be, um, interesting.

5:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pretty daffodil, ours are all gone now mostly and the dogwoods are on the brink of flowering. Somedays it feels like Spring and others feel like Winter... wish is would make up it's mind!

Shea

8:13 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You know, I am so impressed with your knitting and teaching! I've worked with students who had different abilities and sometimes different languages from mine, and it really stretches your mind. It is exhausting, and challenging and rewarding and frustrating and thrilling all at once. I can see why a person would want to vegetate for a while after that workout. Remember to feel very proud of yourself while you're resting!

8:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MEOW!


The girls in PA

5:04 PM  
Blogger sheep#100 said...

If I ever meet a blind person who wants to learn to knit, I'll send them to you! That is so cool and such a compliment to you.

My Stash Flash

10:27 AM  
Blogger Carol said...

Wow. What a challenge -- teaching the blind to knit. My honey wonders (with tongue in cheek) if they are wanting to learn fair isle? Good for you to have the patience to undertake that challenge. You are a jewel of humanity.

7:09 PM  

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