Son of Rebel Knitter: Maverick Knitter

It was like an episode of the Vinyl Cafe: Morley teaches Sam to knit.  I remember listening to Stuart McLean tell the story on the radio, making everyone in the house shush so I could hear it from beginning to end.  Wishing that my son would one day express the intent to knit, just like Sam.  It was, if I remember correctly, about a week or two after I had re-taught my daughter how to knit, perhaps for the third time.  Then, it happened. 

A month before his sister's birthday, my 9 year old decided he was going to learn how to knit so he could make his big sister a birthday present.  YES!  Better yet: it took him exactly 30 seconds to learn the garter stitch, less than 2 minutes to perfect it.  JOY!  One day into the new hobby, he had completed the first of what would become 5 separate birthday projects. YAY! 

By day three, 2 bracelets were complete and a super long scarf was on the needles.  Son of Rebel turns to his mother and says "Mom, I'm no good. You can knit soooooo much faster than me." "Well, sweetie, first of all, you're an awesome knitter, second of all I've been knitting since I was five years old. I can practically knit in my sleep." "FIVE????? You mean I could have learnt when I was five???? Why did you wait so long to teach me!?!?!?!?"  "Um... you didn't ask to learn." "I had to ask?!?!?!?!"

I told him that over the years, some of my best students have been boys. N ot sure why.  Perhaps because, as a society, we tend not to see boys as knitters, and the boys that ask to learn how to knit really, really, really want to learn, so they excel. Maybe. Maybe not.  Not sure.  Could also be that my boy knitters turned knitting into an Olympic event. Yes, speed knitting demons (see my book about Hanan and his Kibbutz friends who were competitive speed knitters - warmest IDF recruits up on Masada that cold, windy night!).  Over the years, there have been days when my Friday Afternoon Knitting club turned into Sports club.

Then some awfully cool things happened.  The conversation after dinner began to change: 

"Mom, if I take a shower, brush my teeth and get into my pyjamas real quick, can we watch The Rick Mercer Report and knit together before bed time?"  YES! YES! YES!

"Mom, are there any famous guy knitters?"
You betcha!
http://www.lionbrand.com/wordpress4/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/knittingmen.jpg


YES.  Ryan Gosling according to Vanity Fair http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2013/01/ryan-gosling-hobby-knitting-interview and Russell Crowe http://www.knittingonthenet.com/wallpaper/rc.htm  Sure, this might an urban legend, but who am I to argue with potential knitting eye-candy?

Jacques Plantes, perhaps, was the greatest hit with the little guy.  Proof that knitting skills leads to a solution minded thinker.  This awesome Habs goalie proves my mantra Knitters are Engineers!  Just saying!

I told my son about one of the later life learners I know named, Geoff.  Geoff learned how to knit when he was a young boy.  Everyone, boys, girls, you name it.... everyone knit socks for the soldiers.

http://www.examiner.com/article/knitting-for-our-troops
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/education/toolkit/kitcrown_e.shtml

Found all these photos for him (G-d bless the internet)

Geoff, by the way, is still an outstanding knitter.  Knit one of the bears I sent over for Mother Bear Project, see the November 2010 Knittishisms blog post. You rock, Geoff!

By week two, my boy wanted his own fibre name.  I didn't have to think hard... he came to my room that evening in his pj's and his cowboy hat, et voila: Maverick Knitter was born.

Astute child!  Started using his camping headlamp when the light was iffy. Clever, clever offspring... Definitely a Jacques Plantes move! Got to get me one of those!

Well in advance of big sister's birthday, Maverick Knitter had completed 3 bracelets, a ring and a scarf longer than I am tall (and I am pretty tall).  Very impressive.

"What do I knit next Mom?"   "Well, I'm going to knit Uncle Jeff a birthday present."  "Me too!"  "Then off to the yarn store we go!"

Yarn shopping with my boy was a completely different experience than yarn shopping with my girl at the same age.  Five years ago, Mademoiselle was all "let's buy pink, and orange, and blue, and camo, and... and... and..."  that had been a pricey visit to the store: but an important one, nonetheless because of Lesson #1 Knitting for Children: if you want them to wear what you knit, let them help choose the yarn (colours and all -- and there will be a lot of colours.... sigh.)   Alas, yarn shopping with Maverick was an experience I can only describe as yarn shopping with a caveman. Yarn = Ball.  Ball = Throw. Throw. Throw. Throw. STOP!!!!!!!!!   Where did my mild mannered knitter boy go?  All of a sudden it's a Fred Flintstone meets Joe DiMaggio episode.  Eeegads. Thank goodness he's cute. Also, the store was not that busy, and, I can run and fetch quick. grrrr.

Interesting thing about boys knitting in public..... Maverick very quickly tuned into the fact that if he brought his knitting along to 'occupy' himself (read: showcase himself), people, especially older women, would come over and chat him up.  He scored big in my hair salon one day.  The Rihanna-look-alike even made him blush!  The ladies at his Bubbie's chair-yoga-class thought he was just adorable.... Smart kid, that Maverick.  Loves to be fawned over.


What is next for Maverick Knitter?  Not sure.
He has recently become enamoured with his new drum kit. 
Has he traded one set of sticks for another?

I think not.

I am certain this is just cross-training.