My New Sweater by Esther

[Editor's note: This story was written by Esther]

My sister Marion Elizabeth and I would chat every week day in the mornings on Yahoo IM. We would chat about what everyone was doing, who was coming, and what we would be planning to make next after we finish a project.

I had been sewing some day dresses and working some beads, but wanted to try to knit a sweater. When I mention it to Marion Elizabeth, she thought she would like to make one too. She was very good at knitting and also she was good at crocheting. She loved just about anything that required a needle of some kind. All us girls were able to knit and crochet.

I learned when I was about nine years old. My Mother made arrangements for a neighbor to teach cousin Etta and myself how to knit. We did practice to get a good grade, but I did not at the time make any thing. Did learn enough to say I could knit. It was crocheting that my Grandmother A taught me and I loved making dollies and the large ruffle ones were favorites.

It was after I married and had Taffy, that I made baby dresses. Grandmother made her a white nylon crochet baby dress and it was done in a pineapple pattern. I use it to make her one in cotton. Even made the slips to wear under the dresses in different color satin material. She looked so lovely in them.

Marion Elizabeth had made my Grandchildren Heather and Heidi a raglan pull over sweater and around the waist she knitted some paper dolls. The boys and girls were in a light color yarn and ever since then I had wanted a raglan sweater. I knew enough to think I could do it myself, but did not feel confident that it was even fit.

About eight years ago while shopping at Wal-Mart, I found two white sweaters. One was a raglan pull over in a plain knit style with short sleeves. It was just the right size and so soft and loved it. The second one was done in a rib from the neck to the waist and it was almost as nice, but a heavier yarn was used to make it. Which made it nice to wear on colder days.

When telling Her how much I loved the sweaters she made for the girls, she offered to help me, and assured me she could teach me and together we would each make a cardigan sweater. It did not take long for me to accept her offer. When I could get out to see about the yarn, what color, size of needles and marker she had told me to get.

The next trip to the clinic was my first chance to shop. Cindy took me and help me find what I needed and back to the house and I started to cast on stitches to the size eight needles I would be using. It did not take too long to get my tension adjusted and the next step was to chat Marion Elizabeth and she started to teach me. What to measure, and how to add the count to learn how many stitches I would need, which made me realize how easy it was to make me a sweater. That bit of info was a surprise and so very much solved a lot of problems for me.

It was a good thing Marion Elizabeth knew her stuff, as I did not know how to increased stitches to add new ones to the needles, I just could not understand how to add them till she said the magic word, do it again in the same stitch but in the back!!! It was the video she found for me to see and have to say I have had no more since.

What a joy it was to really know I could knit myself or any one a sweater. My sister is really a jewel. I have only the sleeves left to do. Then the final test will be to see if it fits. I do want a sweater that looks good and looks good on me. It does look like it will be a close fit. Even if it is not a good fit, I am so pleased Marion Elizabeth has taught me so I can do another one that just may be my best work to date. Now I want her to teach me how to make the paper dolls. I know she can teach me how that is done.

I have loved the computer to keep in touch with her and enjoy chatting with her. Never realize I could learn while chatting with her, and to tell you the truth, she is remarkable to even find videos to show me how a stitch is done, that is another eye opener, and a bigger lesson to aid me. So a big thank you to my sister Marion Elizabeth.

Yarn and Knitting Needles