This week, to be completely honest, I have not managed to make the progress on the blanket that I had hoped to make. I did manage to create a clearer idea of what I want the completed project to look like in my head, which will be a bunch of large red diamonds outlined by black rectangles, but I did not actually knit as much as I wanted to. Most of my inability stems from how busy I have been since the moment I stepped out of the car back in Kansas for a long visit with my family.
I found out that not only has my grandfather’s cancer come back with a vengeance, but my grandmother has also required multiple major surgeries for multiple major issues within the last couple of months. What these surgeries sum up into is that my grandmother’s heart is failing. Yes, this is devastating news. Yes, this has made me incredibly emotional. Yes, I am doing okay, all things considered. To be fair, it is not something unexpected and, instead, has been quite expected for some time, but it does not lessen the blow much if any, but enough about that.
I have managed to complete what I think will be the center of my blanket and it does not seem to have turned out too bad. In fact, I think it looks rather nice considering my overall inexperience with a project of this caliber. My idea is to complete most, if not all, of the pieces of the blanket before stitching them together into the final product. I do not remember if that was mentioned in the last update, but at this point it definitely seems like the way to go.
While I was working on it, my little brother started staring silently, not saying a word, until I cracked and asked him what he wanted. He then launched into a barrage of questions such as:
“What are you doing?”
“How are you doing that?”
“Why are you doing that?”
“How long has it taken you to do that?”
and other similar queries. I diligently answered each question and then dug a spare skein of yarn and my extra needles out of bag. We then sat down and I gave him a crash course in knitting all the while expecting him to get bored or find it to be “too girly” and quit. However, much to my surprise, he has taken quite a liking to it and even wants to brag about his newfound skill to all of his friends. Therefore, because he seems genuinely willing to pick knitting up as a hobby, I invested in a starter kit where I bought him some needles, needle protectors, yarn, and a beginner’s guide to the craft. Maybe when he becomes proficient I can have him help me complete the blanket as a joint present for our mother.
gratuitouslygeeky 
I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother and grandfather. The fact that you made a little progress is great. I have tried knitting before, and it was just not my thing. It is very surprising that your little brother enjoyed it and wants to brag about it! Good for him though 🙂 I hope he continues to feel this way about it. I am sure your mother would love receiving this from the both of you. It would be really cool if you guys could work on it and complete it together. I hope you continue working on the blanket and I also hope that your brother will be able to help you finish it! I will be thinking of you and your family!
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Thank you. So far my little brother has a lopsided rectangle that is slowly growing as he continues to work on it. You can even kind of see the progress as the newer rows are not as lopsided as the earlier ones
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It’s great that you can kind of see the progress! He must be a quick learner!
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He is when he really puts his mind to it. Otherwise he’s about as stubborn as a buried snapping turtle.
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Amanda,
First of all, my condolences. I understand what you mean by even though you are expecting something not so good to happen it doesnt make it any better when it actually does happen, been there, so i’m sorry to hear your news.
Second, it was neat to read about your little brother and his curiosity and you teaching him the basics of knitting. That is really cool and was super kind of you. I’m glad he has taken an interest in it. I think you have a good idea going about him maybe helping you with your blanket as a gift for your mother.
Third, hang tough. It sounds like you are doing great and really trying and that is what’s important.
Skyler
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Thank you. My little brother still does not quite have the basics locked down, but he got annoyed about dropping a stitch yesterday, so he is definitely improving
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I’m so sorry to hear about your grandparents. It’s not easy to focus when there are other things going on in our life, especially when it involves family. But I am glad you made some progress with your knitting! It’s awesome that your brother is taking a liking to your project. Maybe you will have a knitting buddy! Great post!
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Thank you. Now I’m working on trying to convince my mom to learn how to do it too
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This is an awesome project and once finish this can be something you can pass down. I have tried knitting but never was successful. So good for you!
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Thank you! It took me a while to get the hang of the knitting basics and I still haven’t even attempted some of the other techniques and I don’t yet know how to read a pattern, but I am definitely going to keep at it.
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