Teaching little ones

Today I taught my 6 year old granddaughter, Eli, to needlepoint. She is a natural at it and did really well. After dinner, I watched her pick up her needlework while we watched a movie...something that she has seen her grandmother, aunts and great grandmother do countless times. It was just as natural as curling up with the dog. What a wonderful legacy we have from a long list of needlewomen stretching back in time.

We were talking about the subject over Christmas vacation and teasing my 88 year old dad at all the time he has wasted and trying to calculate how many afghans he could have made with all the time spent riding in a car, watching TV or waiting in a doctor's office. Why is it that it is usually women to seek to use up all those bits of time which would be wasted...or nonproductive at the very least? I hardly ever see the women of my family just sitting and talking. As soon as we sink down into a chair, our hands go automatically to the knitting bag, or other project bag.

There is such a drive in me to use my time twice, or even three times if I can. As I write this, I have a sweater for Eli sitting next to the computer. When I can't figure out what I want to say, I grab the needles and think. When I go to read my post to check for mistakes, I automatically pick up my needles. Why? Before Christmas, my mom said arthritis was bothering her hands and the first thing I asked was. "Is your Christmas knitting done?" I knew if it wasn't done, she was going to be feeling really anxious along with being in pain.

Don't misunderstand; I am not a type A personality who is rushing to get ahead. I just don't like letting one of my senses dangle when I could be using it. So, Eli is doing needlepoint and that means Addie will soon be doing it too. Addie also got knitting needles and yarn for Christmas, so that means knitting lessons are going to be part of her homeschool day also. They are the next generations to take up the needles and carry on a long tradition.