Knitting Perls of Wisdom

"Out of all the incredibly awesome facets of folk knowledge," one might ask, "why did you pick knitting?"

me, knitting; Rachel with her project

A few answers come to mind. For one, it is a skill of fabrication. I may be able to troubleshoot and repair electronics, configure and maintain servers, and elicit desirable behaviors from the Linux kernel, but I can't do much in the real world. A knit cap can really keep the real you warm! It's almost magic to me when raw materials are brought to life as finished goods.

Another reason is that it's a soft reminder of my recently departed mom. She loved knitting--it's what kept her sitting still during Relief Society.

Yet another motive is belied by the facts that I consider it a feminine activity and that I'm normally physically awkward: knitting is outside of my comfort zone. (Rachel's husband mentioned that, had he any extra time, he would teach me the much-more-masculine art of crochet. :) It was quite entertaining to get guff from my roommates when I returned to my apartment carrying a large spool of yarn and a pair of shiny fuchsia no. 5 knitting needles.