first knits

Today I don't want to talk so much about my knitting as I do about my daughter's knitting. My daughter is 10, loves purple and has really taken to knitting (she has a twin sister who has shown interest in crochet, but hasn't focused on it). She made a garter stitch scarf for her American Girl and then we tried to think of a project where she could purl.

Back in the day, when I was slightly older than she is (11 or 12 maybe) My grandma taught me to knit and purl (but not to cast on or cast off or weave in ends) by having me make a project from a book. I chose a headband thinking I'd be oh so cool in it. I still have it and as first projects go it isn't terrible. It is though quite weird that I'd pick a headband as my first project, as I have never ever in my life looked good in a headband. I still have it though and mostly use it when washing my face. Some pictures:

and:

However, this daughter looks great in headbands. We thought about replicating mine, only in purple, but honestly I can't recall the pattern. While it sort of looks garter stitch, I distinctly remember purling. What I had her do was a knit purl combo. I was thinking knit two rows, purl one, but she was way more random about it. And honestly, it doesn't curl and looks pretty neat. She only worked on it a few rows every night as I read to her (which makes it sound like a domestic scene from the nineteenth century, especially when you consider the other daughter was usually drawing) but I doubt 19th century domesticity featured the fantasy novels we currently are reading (Ranger's Apprentice, for anyone who cares).

Last night I showed her how to sew it up, and this morning she wanted to wear it. As she was getting ready I said--aren't you forgetting something? And I grabbed her camera and shot a few shots of her wearing it. She looks darling, you'll have to trust me.