Hobbies

Amelia likes to rip things. I always wondered why her floor is covered in little bits of paper and why so many books are missing pages. Finally, I asked her about this. She said she just likes the sound. So I decided it was time for a new hobby. Last month she took up sewing, made a bean bag and then got bored. I offered to teach her to knit. I only know one stitch, but I figured that would be plenty for a 4 year old. I hoped that she would like the sound of the needles clicking better than the sound of ripping.

I took Amelia and the little boys to the store to buy supplies. I was very surprised when Jonathan got very excited by the knitting needles and crochet hooks. I got the fattest pair of knitting needles I could find and handed them to Amelia. Jonny insisted I buy a crochet hook for him too. I thought perhaps he was feeling left out, so I bought a large crochet hook, one that would be good for child hands.

Over the course of a few days, I taught Amelia to cast on, which she does very independantly and the basic knit stitch, which she needs minimal guidance. She does four per day because she is four.

Jonny enjoys his crochet hook. He carries it in the hammer loop of his pants. He especially likes it because it is rounded "like a rocket." He also likes knitting, because it provides a sword for each hand.