Bright, Shining Star

My knitting classes on the Crystal Serenity are conducted in the Tastes Café - an eatery and bar. We sit at several tables and I go around helping out as needed and occasionally I get to sit and knit with the guests.

Every once and a while a waiter comes by to see if we need any drinks. How fortunate I am to have had this wonderful teaching experience.

Mimi picked an ambitious project and was pretty good about stopping when she'd notice a mistake so I didn't usually have to rip much out and get her on her way again.

Carley, an Auburn U student on the holiday cruise with her family group of 11, was an enthusiastic beginner as well and got the hang of the cast on and knit stitch right away. She and her mom both completed cell phone cozies on the cruise.

Another of the beginning knitting students took to the craft like she'd been doing it all her life. Amy got the hang of the long-tail cast-on and the knit stitch in record time and knit and purled a swatch by the time she got to the next class. I was impressed with the even tension.

I suggested she make the headband pattern as an alternate to the baby hat project. It only has the knitter cast on 14 stitches and has them knit a buttonhole. Basically it's a long version of my Cell Phone Cozy pattern.

Easy Peasy Cell Phone Cozy

She wanted to learn how to knit because all of her sisters were knitters. She was so proud of herself and we made a big fuss when she presented her finished headband.

And here it was buttoned up.

I insisted that she model it so I could take this picture. Amy and her husband live in SW Scotland so figured this would be a practical project. Little did we know she'd be able to make good use of the headband when we arrived at frigid Charleston.

She insisted that she have her picture taken with her teacher.

Amy participated in many shipboard activities so I was pleased she made the time to work on her knitting. I hope she continues to knit as she really did very well.