Tales from the knitters' corner Here’s a cute yarn…

→[More:]My niece, Peaches Swan, has told me a number of times that she really wanted to learn to knit. So for her 12th birthday last December I bought her funky knitting needles and enough yarn to make a scarf. The yarn was her favourite colour (orange) and an acrylic worsted (ideal yarn for a kid/ beginner knitter as it will knit up quickly and stand up to a lot of handling and ripping out). Peaches was very pleased and began that very evening to make a scarf.

My niece Clementine, who is Peaches much older sister, is expecting her first child this July. I asked Peaches if she was going to make something for the baby. Peaches replied enthusiastically that she was making the baby a scarf. Oh, how nice, what colour was the scarf? Orange, said Peaches. Er, was this the scarf she was making from the yarn I gave her? Oh yes, said Peaches. She was going to make the scarf for herself but now she plans to finish it for the baby. She’s half done!

I seem to be the only person in my family who thinks it at all incongruous and funny that Peaches is going to give a 6’ orange worsted scarf to a newborn.

Here’s a not so cute yarn. Last night I had to rip out 646 stitches from the lace-bordered old rose-coloured mohair skirt I am knitting for myself. There was a mistake in the pattern in my magazine. Grrr.