Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Let Me Ask You. What Would You Have Done?

I wasn't as successful with my February goal as I would have liked.  My intention of writing for my blog twice a week didn't happen.  But, I did write twice as much in February than I did in January.
Two posts in January and four in February.
And by the way, I have to re-kickstart my water consumption, which was January's goal.  I'm back to not drinking enough water.  But, I am aware of it.  Ha!

Yesterday I was faced with a bit of a dilemma.

First a little background.  I participate in an aerobics routine three times a week.  Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  I've been going for about a year now.  The fact that since I've been going I have gained about nine pounds does not deter me, though.  I feel better.  I have more energy and less stiffness and joint pain.  The weight gain thing is on the agenda for one of my monthly goals.  I'm not ready to tackle that one just yet.
But, I'm digressing.  Back to aerobics.  Our aerobics instructor, Linda, is a friendly, lively, upbeat  lady.   She's a wisp of a thing with wavy strawberry blond hair and freckles.   At first, I thought she was a young 30 something.  But it turns out she is fifty-seven!  Wow!  I wish I would have started this exercise thing a dozen years ago.
During the weight training part of the hour, in the middle of a 20 count squat, to distract us, I'm sure, she will chat a little about what's been going on in her life, tell us about the new restaurant in town, or what's been in the local news.
A couple of months ago she revealed that her step-daughter is pregnant.  She told us that she would love to be able to make something for the baby.  
"I think handmade things are treasurable," she said.
She knows that I am a knitter and that I also crochet.
Every so often she would tell me that she has been trying to learn how to crochet.  She said that a couple of her friends have been attempting to teach her but she just can't seem to get it.  
Three weeks ago I brought some yarn and a hook with me, went to class a few minutes early and  
I gave her a mini lesson.
For some reason, this time, it clicked with her.  
At the next class, she brought in her practice piece to proudly show me her progress.
She felt she was now ready to make a "treasurable" possibly even heirloom, baby blanket.
We went shopping for yarn.  She picked out a pale green called melon.
She asked me if I would start the blanket for her.
"Can you just do a couple of rows?"  
"Of course," I said.
I did start the blanket for her.   I wrote the instructions down for her.  It's an easy beginner pattern.
She took it home to work on it and the next time we met she brought it in to show me.  She was doing very well.  It looked great!
Then yesterday.
She excitedly told me she had worked on it all weekend and wanted me to see how far along she was.
Before she pulled it out of the bag, she confessed that one side of the blanket wasn't as straight as the other side.
"But, that's okay, right?"  she asked.
She laid it out on the table.
Oh my, I thought.  
What I did and what I wanted to do were exact opposites.
And it's been bothering me ever since.
Did I do the right thing?
What would you have done?

I'll let you know what I did the next time.

March's goal is to knit or crochet two baby blankets and four baby hats to donate to charity.  I have been talking about charity knitting forever and have never followed through.






3 comments:

  1. I'm thinking you offered to take the blanket from her and to fix it and finish it for her. What you regret is that you should have ripped out what went wrong, showed her that so she could learn from it and then have her continue making it.

    betty

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  2. I expect correcting that side would mean ripping back the whole blanket. I think I would have tactfully mentioned how I used to struggle with turning at the end of crochet rows. Maybe the blanket can be used when the baby visits you. But if it is meant as a gift, your friend will probably prefer it to be straight. However, she has already said that she doesn't think it matters. That's a difficult quandry.

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  3. Well, I have to know what you did before I can know if it's the right thing. Because if it was me, I'd probably say "how lovely" and let it be. She's a beginner. It doesn't need to be perfect.

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