Monday, September 8, 2008

Community and Sharing

There are many reasons why I love being a work at home mom.

I have the priveledge of raising my two children. I am with them when they are happy and engaged in play and learning. I am with them when they test their boundaries and try all sorts of new things. I am their teacher - their nurse - their cook - and best of all their mommy.

I enjoy working for other moms and dads. I have the pleasure of getting to know lots of these parents fairly well. Some have gone on to become friends with whom I stay in very frequent contact. Getting to know about the little one that I am knitting for is joyful. Seeing their pictures in the woolies I hand knit is even better!

I love being a part of a larger community of wahms. I've shared ideas and "best practices" with these other work at home moms. I've shared struggles such as organization and time management. I also shop from many of these other wahms...and therefore provide for my children while helping another mom be home with her children...it is an *awesome* circle.

Being a part of this larger community has provided me with two friends who have shared with me some little "tricks of the trade" that I've not used before. So, I'd like to say thank you to Lindsey of Cake. for sharing her idea to do both legs of my woolies at one time using two 12" circular needles. Why didn't I think of this? I love having both legs work up at one time without magic looping. This is just such a fun trick. :) I also want to thank Kim of Western Sky Knits for suggesting I try a crochet bind off. Another simple tweak to my process and I love it! It is so much quicker than using a traditional bind off for stockinette work.

Two simple tweaks...two members of a larger community who are willing to share. What a lovely way to work. :)

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