Knitting Across The Language Barrier
This morning, in an attempt to make up for the fact that Sam has been stuck in the house with me for like two weeks straight, we went to the playground. Normally Sam plays for between 45 minutes and an hour, a little longer if he’s with his dad and a little shorter with me (I am not as much fun and I am OK with that). Today we played for an hour and a half, possibly longer, and he only agreed to leave because he was thirsty.
While we were there I pushed him on the swing (and pushed him and pushed him and pushed him and I think he would have stayed on the swing the whole time if not for a very personable little girl of about four and a half who he followed around for a while) and I sat on a bench and knitted. While I was knitting an older Korean woman with almost no English came over and asked if I was knitting for the baby. I said yes (a lie! It is for someone else’s baby!) and she asked if it’s a boy or girl. I think I managed to convey that I did not know, and she told me it’s a girl. (She thinks so because girls carry all over and boys out front, and I did not bother pointing out that A. that’s not true and B. I am carrying in front.) She wanted to look at my knitting, and she wanted to see the yarn, and she held the baby sock I showed her, and she wanted to know how much the yarn cost (I think) and it was all very nice.
A little while later she came back over with a friend, who was wearing a gorgeous knitted shrug. Her friend did not speak any more English than she did, but she clearly knew knitting. I showed her what I had on the needles–a Baby Surprise Jacket. And she immediately grabbed a corner and folded it up correctly, admiring it. I was so impressed! Elizabeth Zimmermann knows no language barriers!
The only awkward part was when the first woman kept asking me the same question and I absolutely could not figure out what she meant. I understood “How long” but not the rest. I figured she either meant how long did it take to knit one piece or how long had I been knitting. I answered the latter question–I hope she didn’t mean the former! Five years to knit a BSJ would be ridiculous. I can usually do one in three days. (Though this one is taking much longer because of Frankenfinger.)
November 13th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
That is an awesome story!! What a great experience :) Can’t wait to see the set in person!!
November 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
how about “how long till you have the baby?”
November 13th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
No, it was definitely knitting-related.
…or else the gesture she was making was really obscene.
November 13th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
you can knit one in 3 days? you must be some kind of speedy knitter.
November 14th, 2009 at 4:32 am
This reminds me – you got mentioned when we were at Eileen’s the other week! We were all lounging about on the Sunday morning and I was knitting a hat, and was onto the decreasing part. Someone said “When Annika does that she can still talk!” and then I felt very anti-social. (But you have to concentrate to decrease! Or, er, I do.) Then I pointed out that you’re Really Good.
And then we ate mini cupcakes.
November 15th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I aspire to one day knit and talk at the same time.
November 16th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I like this entry and it MAKES ME WANT TO KNIT but.
I said yes (a lie! It is for someone else’s baby!) and she asked if it’s a boy or girl.
I HILIGHTED THE RELEVANT PART.
The part where I gasped. GASPED.
Lying!
D:
November 16th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Oh, Courtney. What do you expect from a werewolf-apologist like myself?