I have always wanted to learn how to knit. Growing up, I saw moms in Kenya crotcheting decorative cloths to put on couches or sofa sets. It was also common to see pregnant moms knitting their entire baby cloth collection during their baby’s nine-month gestation period.
My love for knitting was also reinforced with my mom being an expert knitter. In Kenya, schools have uniforms, and each school had a specific color for their sweaters. My mom would go to the school to see the colors to match them to the yarn. She would handknit sweaters for us instead of purchasing the sweaters from the school. So as you guessed, I was always the odd one out when it came to class pictures. You could always spot me in a chunky knitted sweater, surrounded by a sea of store-bought sweaters.
So at the tail end of 2019-2020 (pre-covid), I joined a knitting club as a volunteer. The funny thing is that I had no knitting skills whatsoever. I was somewhat intimidated when I saw the members come with elaborate projects and I was just there twiddling my thumbs. The next session, one older lady, insisted that I should learn, “There is no point of attending a knitting club if you can’t knit.” She handed me a loom, and within 5 minutes, I started knitting. I was thrilled, and I could feel butterflies in my stomach, “I can’t believe I am knitting.” After the 3-hour session was done, I had my first pair of red mittens. I was so happy.
After this, the members asked me to challenge myself and start with a more ambitious project. So I selected a blanket. Midway, I realized that I closed the loom’s end, and I couldn’t rectify the issue. So I decided to change it and make a hat instead! I was amazed at the camaraderie that I found in the knitting club. Everyone from all walks of life was present, and their main agenda was knitting, but through it all, problems were being solved, and suggestions were being made.
I became fond of the lady who taught me how to knit. I asked her secret because she had so much joy and patience. She advised that it was because of the “joy of the Lord.” As I worked on my ambitious project over the next few months, I sat and listened quietly to conversations about love, faith, resilience, and GOD. I felt so much at peace when I walked into the knitting club. I also met another retired engineer who stated that she quit her career to care for her kids and now her grandkids. It was amazing to see people from all walks of life, and almost all of them had the common thread of God and faith. It’s as if God had literally “knitted” the group together.
When the pandemic started, the knitting club ended (March 2020). I felt so sad to see them cancel the club. There was something about being in the same room with these individuals. Although I was sad for it to end, I am glad to say that I completed my project one week before the pandemic started! I have had people ask me to sell them this hat, but I can’t do that. It took me almost three months to complete- that’s HARD WORK. I will keep this hat as a reminder of the incredible people I met (and hope to meet again) in the Knitting club. I am also happy to report that I am now finally working on my long overdue blanket!
Loom knitting started! 
Loom knitting complete!
Sounds like such a lovely group of people.
Hope you guys can get back to meeting together sometime in the future when things are safe to do so.
The hat looks lovely and good luck with the blanket.
I know the very basics of knitting and have been intending to get back to it.
🤗💙
Hello Perth Girl! 🎉Thank you for the kind sentiments! If you know the basics about knitting 🧶 then you are way ahead of me! When I started I knew absolutely nothing, I just loved seeing other people do it 😅. If you get back to it, I would be curious to know your experience! 😀
Such a lovely hat!! I love stpries like this – meeting different people from all walks of life, especially encounters with older women in Christ who have such faith in God that comes from experience and surrender. I hope you regain this beautiful community.🥰
Hello Dami! Thank you for the kind words! I agree 💯 %c encounters with older women does come from experience and surrender! Well said! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Such lovely and graceful people you met with. I hope you all can still stay in touch through the social media platforms.
The cap is lovely too. Love the colour mix.
And about those asking you to sell it, you could try making another one(s) for these requests. 🙂
Hello 👋 Thanks for stopping by 🎉 Thanks for the kind compliments regarding the cap. I too hope that Incan meet the lovely people in knitting club again 🙏🏾 Be blessed my sister
You are welcome. 🤗
Yeah. That will be nice. 🙂
Amen and you too, sis. 🙏
Such lovely and graceful people you met with. I hope you all can still stay in touch through the social media platforms.
The cap is lovely too. Love the colour mix.
And about those asking you to sell it, you could try making another one(s) for these requests. 🙂
Community is something I miss too such as visiting my refugee and immigrant friends in their homes.
I wonder if you could host a Zoom session and knit together that way?
Hello there brother 👋 I can understand you missing that connection too. Meeting someone in their home provides a lovely atmosphere to interact, it’s less structured and I find conversations flow better. I was hoping to join a zoom session too but as of now they didn’t create one 😭
Maybe you can create one and invite them
Good idea!
I can try that although I was a volunteer. But I can ask the organizer in what capacity I can support 🎉🎉🎉
Good job! And you have found a nice tribe of people!!!
👋 Hello!
Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comment!
I am super excited that I have indeed found my tribe of people ☀️☀️☀️☀️
Have a lovely day!