Busted!

I've been working as an Early Childhood Teacher for around eight years, and in that time I've worked with babies right through to preschoolers.The common theme of 'rest time' runs pretty consistently right through all age ranges, and then starts to taper off as the preschoolers start to approach what they refer to as 'big school'.

One of the more pleasant tasks that befall people in my field of employ (I refuse to call us 'Child Care Workers'. I'm University-trained, damnit!) is that of sitting with children and stroking their foreheads or patting their backs to help them get to sleep, and the younger they are, the more likely it will be that they want and enjoy this experience. It's gorgeous. I've found that gently stroking your index finger down a wee baby's forehead and nose makes them relax almost instantly, and as this is continued, you can just watch their little eyes flutter closed; it's so beautiful watching a child fall asleep!

But I digress. Where I find myself working now, I am with an older age range of preschoolers who have mostly all decided that they 'don't need me' to pat them to sleep. I was feeling pretty rejected, (and let's face it, quite bored and sleepy during rest times with nothing to occupy me) until last week I jokingly said to my coworker (and director of the service), "Man, I should bring my knitting for rest time". She responded, in all seriousness, "Hey, that's a good idea!". I love that kind of talk, especially from a non-knitter.

So, this week, I have been bringing my latest project, knit in a cream 12-ply (the ultimate antidote to 4-ply baby yarn!) that I cast on last Sunday. The first instructions, after casting on sixty-two stitches, was 'knit straight for forty-eight centimetres from cast-on'. Hmm. Not terribly challenging, but something to 'get done', so I could keep on with the interesting parts of the project. Sorry I have to keep referring to it as 'the project' - it must remain a secret till this baby is born! Maybe I need to cast on something else to keep everyone here entertained. More on that to come...

And I set myself up in a good vantage point, unzipped my bag, and set off. Row after row of good, straight, sensible, plain garter stitch. How it made my heart glad to see the stitches fly and the length increase! 'Hooray - less to do later' I thought, as I ploughed on. And the children loved it too! Every time I cast my eye over the little 'uns, at least half of them were similarly transfixed my the movement and gentle sound of the needles doing their thing. Lovely stuff.

It wasn't till today that I found out I'd been BUSTED by the Powers That Be... I spoke to the principal of the school I work at this afternoon, who at the end of our 'work' conversation, said casually,

"I saw you knitting on Monday at Rest Time"

"Oh, really?" I said, trying not to sound too flustered. "Well, you know how it is when you get to the end of the year, the preschoolers don't want me patting them, and I thought I'd do something useful while supervising, and..." excuses came pouring out of my mouth, unchecked and unbidden (this happens a lot to me when I'm put on the spot by work, salespeople and telemarketers).

"Yes", she continued. "We were having a giggle, watching through the window, you sitting up there like a Nana, knitting while you were looking over the children"

And then I pull out a self-deprecating joke. Why? I dunno. It just happens. Maybe if they think I'm willing to take myself down then they don't have to do it for me?

"Oh", I said "Well, it's not like you want me to be, you know, actually connecting with the children, do you... heh heh heh...?" There was a slight pause, then the principal said,

"Nah, you can knit! It's good you're doing something useful while you've got to sit there, isn't it?"

SUCCESS!

It only took me a second to register that all was cool, and that no sarcasm resided in that sentence, when I came back with:

"Excellent! I'll bring in that afghan I've been working on next Monday!"

hehe... she nearly fell off her chair laughing.




And here's one I made earlier! THE baby hat that's been driving me nuts over the past couple of weeks... Being that I've been in such a rush to start my next project, this is a photo of the third one of these I've knit, because... I still haven't washed, blocked or sewn up the last one completed (!). Are you surprised? I had a serious case of startitis! Still do, actually...