My Mom's Best Christmas Gift

I talked to my mom Tuesday and she had already opened the packages I sent her for Christmas. While she was talking to me she said....'Oh, and I have done THREE ROWS already on the afghan knitting you sent me. I knew I could do it!!'

I was dancing the happy dance to hear this.

See, my mom is legally blind. She has macular degeneration in both eyes. She never had vision in one eye from birth, when it was hit was MD it was no big deal, but when it hit her good eye eight years ago, it took all of her sight. Now she functions on her own at home with no problem, she knows where things are, and has some limited sight. She can not drive, or read, but can watch TV or do the daily chores of life.

When I was visiting her last Nov, I was sitting and knitting and she was sitting beside me, watching. At one point she said, I think I could still do that. I tucked that thought away, and later at home the crazy idea hatched to make that her Christmas present, some easy knitting to do. So I went to the store, and got nine big skeins of the softest, and loveliest yarn I could find. I got large circulars, and cast on what most books were recommending for an knitted afghan. I knit three rows to get her started, took each skein of yarn and dug out the starting end, and then wrapped it all up in Christmas paper (a major task!) and mailed it to her.

and held my breath. Either she was going to love it, or think that was some really crazy gift from her daughter.

So now mom can knit without really looking at the stitches. Oh she will never do any major project, but I think having this to do during her lonely evenings at home, has opened up to her the possibility that she CAN do more than just sit and listen to the TV. I am hoping that she finds knitting as much enjoyment as I have.

CW