(photos 3-6 by Jonny)
Yesterday began as yet another sick day. Poor Keats had a terrible earache and I had a headache. (I’ll insert here that he is feeling much better today!) I checked in on the Yarn Along just in time to see Lori’s post about pockets for Africa. She’s traveling to Namibia in less than three weeks and is working to knit up little pockets to give as gifts to people she meets there. She asked if any of us would like to knit a few. Yes, what a perfect distraction from myself. In less than two minutes I had a little turquoise pocket cast on next to Seth’s math lesson. Anticipating my afternoon knitting session with a friend’s daughters, I cast on a couple with bulkier yarn, thinking they would knit up quickly during our time together. Upon arriving, I explained that our knitting today was very special because we had the opportunity to make something with our hands that would travel across the ocean and become a gift for someone, someone we might never have a connection to otherwise. My words were met with big smiles. As the second pocket was finished, one of my girls proudly told her mama that she had knit something to make someone else happy rather than herself. I am not sure if she noticed that the making and the thought of the giving did indeed make her happy too.
I returned home to a very sad Keats, eyes brimming from the pain in his ears. I snuggled in next to him on the couch and starting making the chains for the pouches. After a minute with his head resting on my shoulder, he reached for a ball of yarn and started helping. Each little stitch helped to take his mind off the pain (and well, maybe the dose of medicine I gave him started to work along the way.) As we worked I listened to Jonny reading from the pile of new library books to the girls. A smile spread across my face as I heard him utter the words, “And if you travel to Namibia today….”
That’s where our pockets are going! I had no idea when I picked that Jan Brett book off the library shelf earlier in the day that it would have a connection to our little community knitting project. From Lori’s house in California, to the happy spot that is the Yarn Along that we share each week, to living rooms in Virginia…(and other states across the country I suspect!) this thread connected us all.
I did make one last pocket to send, in watermelon colors. Of course it won’t really be my last. Two little girls want watermelon pockets of their own.
p.s. I was only able to work with Silas in my lap because he was asleep. Knitting and nursing isn’t an option anymore!
steph says
Just about every blog I pop into people are making pockets! Isn’t this community wonderful? I sent mine off before leaving for the weekend….and now think I really do have time to make a couple more! Can’t beat that watermelon colored one, though! Pretty!
Hope your Keats is feeling better….mama can only be as happy as her most unhappy child.
lori says
thank you for the photos jonny! love this all so much!
EG says
Trudy is a hoot!
maya says
so, so sweet ginny! 🙂
Linda says
I love, love, love the photo with the dog in it! That is precious.
Natalie says
Thank you for sharing this yesterday! I hadn’t gotten around to all of the yarn alongs yet (hoping to get to them tonight) and I had missed Lori’s. So glad I caught your post yesterday so I could join in on the making…I made three last night…since I live in Canada, I think mailing on Monday would be my deadline to get them to her and I would have missed out.
Thanks again.
Kimberlee says
What wonderful pictures of a wonderful project. Hope everyone is feeling better today.
April says
Such wonderful photos. It is an art, to knit well, with baby nursing and toddlers jamming about? Thanks for sharing idyllic, yet not perfect photos as a snapshot of your reality.
Nahuatl Vargas says
So good that it made him feel better.
I’m starting to teach my 5 year old to knit, partly inspired by you.
Thank you.
Kim says
How beautiful!! Love the pockets.
Amy {A Faithful Journey} says
What a fabulous idea! They are really beautiful!
Taryn Kae Wilson @ Wooly Moss Roots says
What a wonderful thing to do!
P.S. I love Jan Brett. I got to meet her when I was a child!
Nadja says
What a great project…
I’ve sickies here, too; one is feeling better after a dose of acetaminophen, but Una is still feeling pretty rotten. We aren’t prone to a lot of earaches here, but the garlic oil is wonderful when someone does have one.
Tonya - Plain and Joyful Living says
What a great project Ginny – thank you for sending the links. Yes, for me too – no more knitting with Emmy on my lap. I love the pictures.
Julie says
Love!!!!
Monique R says
I love the series of pictures of you with the children on the couch. They just made me smile today. What a wonderful family bonding moment. The pockets are such a nice idea. Funny how it was mentioned in the book too 🙂
Wendy says
What great lessons to be learned! I’m hoping to get a few pockets finished myself!
Andee- Match the Pictures says
I made three pockets last night too! My boys are collecting treasures to send inside of them as well. I can only imagine how many pockets Lori is going to receive with the Yarn Along knitting with her!
jessica says
Silas is so good to keep his hands to himself. I cannot knit or even read while feeding my little nursling because her hands are constantly flailing and getting into whatever it is I’m trying to do. I’ve lost many a row of knitting to her tangled fingers, so I’m learned that she just has to have my undivided attention.
little macaroon says
This is AWESOME!
Get well soon Keats, nothing worse than an earache.
Teresa C says
Community knitting is great. A few years ago I joined a group of knitters to make hats for newborns in a Lisbon’s maternity, and I felt really happy about it. Last year I knitted hats and booties for my town’s maternity, as a sort of thank you for all the help they gave me with my baby boy.
May I say that Silas is such a good sport for letting you do so many things while nursing. Doesn’t he gets distracted?
Ginny says
He was asleep! I actually can’t knit with him in my lap anymore, but I had a good run there for a little while.
Francesca B. says
I have just finished my first three pockets too, working lonely in my house while James is at school.. Lovely project! I really , really thank you for hosting this Yarn along week after week and helping us to connect with all of these awesome people.
And hope your family gets better soon.
And of course , these pockets will be hand for James too , to collect rocks and pebbles….
Barbara says
“I had no idea when I picked that Jan Brett book off the library shelf earlier in the day that it would have a connection to our little community knitting project.”
But God did! Isn’t He good?!
Ginny says
Oh yes! There are no coincidences!
a little crafty nest says
Oh, Ginny, those are so sweet! I was hoping to knit a few myself before Lori’s deadline. And I really hope you and your brood feel better really soon:)
xo Jules
Rachel Wolf says
Hi Ginny,
Have you tried garlic oil or garlic/willow/mullien oil? It’s like magic for an ear ache. Let me know if you need a recipe. I’m sure I can scrounge one up. Sending love. Rachel
Ginny says
Yes, we’ve been doing that! Well….garlic oil. I have some mullien…need to make up a batch with some of that.
Erin @ Wild Whispers says
Wonderful! Those pockets are beautiful!