I've got a flair

My mother wants me to teach her how to knit when I go home for Christmas.

Color me surprised. She's been supportive of my knitting, so it's not as though she cast a skeptical eye on it in the past and is now coming around to it. No, I just didn't think it was something that she would want to do or have the time or patience for.

The prospect of being the instructor unnerves me because I don't really feel like I know that much. Sure, I've made a lot of items during my brief knitting stint, but I still see myself as a novice. Good grief, I've eschewed doing gauge swatches. That sets a bad example off the bat, right?

I'm better equipped for delivering an introductory lesson than I would have been a year ago...or even six months ago. I'm willing to try to teach her. Out of all my family members, I certainly have the patience that may be required for teaching another. (Whenever my brothers try to explain something to her about the computer, they zip through and get huffy about follow-up questions.) Because I've made plenty of mistakes and had to let some things sink in before understanding them, I think I can strip the basic techniques down to the essential.

And yes, it is flattering to know that she obviously finds value in something that I do. Although I've bonded with my dad about sports, I think I've usually felt that I have more in common with my mom. I got my love of reading from her. Before she switched to an education major in college, she studied music. That translated into piano lessons when I was a kid and an appreciation for music in general (although I'm sure she'd hate some of what I like). So it makes sense that she might be interested in an activity that I enjoy.

Before I embark on this undertaking, I welcome your advice for how to get her started. I'm thinking that I should show her the knit and purl stitches and let her practice with those. Once she feels she has the hang of it, I can attempt to explain gauge, yarn weight, and the basics for beginning a project.

A potential trouble spot comes in how to wrap the yarn. I'm a continental knitter. She wants to learn the English method. I was taught to use my right hand but somehow got to wrapping with my left early on. It felt more comfortable. Since she is left-handed, it makes sense that the English method would seem correct to her.

I have asked if she knows anyone in the area who knits. I definitely don't feel knowledgeable enough to describe what to do over the phone or via e-mail. There's only so much I can teach her in five days, especially if I want to do any knitting of my own during the holiday.