This is a picture of the woman who taught me to knit. I bet she wore knee high socks for the same reason I did...to 'hide?' the skinny legs'.It all began in Texas. Killeen, to be more exact. This woman was very patient and my knitting was very tight. I could hardly get the needle through to knit the stitch off. I started off with 30 stitches and dark-colored worsted weight yarn. I don't recall the needle size or what I was trying to make. Maybe a scarf. Okay, so my 30 stitches measured about 4 1/2 inches across. Just a little tight, right?
Eventually, I began to relax and my knitting now stretched out to measure 6 inches across. I wish I had that piece of knitting so I could frame it. I imagine it's out there somewhere....still on those needles as I didn't bind off.
I will tell you a little more about this woman pictured in her best for the first day of school. She's 6 years old and almost dresses like the children do today (with a backpack, too!).
This is the same woman that taught me how to appreciate all the nice things in life, like digging for worms to go fishing, riding a horse, dancing around the house, singing little songs together, and more.
It was easy to cook great-tasting German food as she was a gourmet cook. My favorite is pork roast with sauerkraut and potatoes! When it comes to sweets, I am always grateful when she makes her orange-slice cake. While it's still hot, she soaks it in orange juice (the grown ups got the rum soaked version). Um, um, good!
This picture is of me at age 7. Ya just can't escape the passing down of 'skinny legs'!!The woman who taught me to knit is my mother. She's an amazing woman with many talents and stories of survival in eastern Germany.
I would love to hear about your story.
Posts
Oh, she has her cone!!
ReplyDeleteI learned something about that in school. They still do that the first day in Germany.
I am stuck here in Chicago for one more day. They cancelled my flight.
April Fools on me!
Pat
That was a touching post. I really enjoyed that and want to hear your story time more.
ReplyDeleteSo, I will have to find my scanner on Sunday and hook it up and reminisce along with you.
Aren't are women anscestors the greatest??!!
Hello Nancy,
ReplyDeleteI just looked at your blog and wanted to let you know that the person in the picture did not
wear knee stockings because she had skinny legs.
She wore them, because in German schools it was obligatory. Ankle
socks were actually considered of poor taste.
It reminded me very much of my own picture of my "First Day of School"
with the same white knee stockings and a "Tuete" a bag/cone which
is typical in Germany for the first day of Elementary School and
filled with school supplies as well as sweets and often given as a
present by the God parents (God Mother or Father).....my first day of school was the first Monday after Easter 1954 and my "cone" was hand made by my uncle, because in those times (just 9 years after the end of the war) some things still were very scarce.
Thanks for the wonderful memory; it made me remember a few things about Easter and school as a little girl in Germany....and so time appropriate!
I probably would not have thought of it without your blog....
Thank you !
Angelika
Mexico City
I love the picture of your Mom and the one of You, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat.
Helen from Deerfield, Mass.