The Cure for Acrylic

I am embarrassed to admit that I have quite a bit of acrylic in my stash. Some I bought when I was a college student and couldn't afford better. But most I bought during those manic episodes when, after months and months of no knitting, I declared "I must knit! I WILL knit! I need new yarn!" And in those moments I never had the patience to drive past the craft store and find real yarn. No, in those moments cheap acrylic seemed like just what I needed. And of course, I've kept every inch of it. It might be useful someday!

Well, friends, I have found the cure. Finger weaving! God bless whoever taught my two grade schoolers this craft! My middle child, the energizer bunny of children, learned finger weaving yesterday and BEHOLD the wondrous quantity of acrylic he consumed in LESS THAN 24 HOURS!

Let's unravel that ball and ponder its wondrousness, shall we?

From the family room sofa...

Up the front stairs...

...across the upstairs game room...












...down the back stairs...











...and to the family room sofa again.








I have always been amazed at this little guy's ability to churn out projects, but he has surpassed himself. We'll be able to knit a blanket for King Kong from his weaving by the end of the summer. Or, if he won't consent to having it knit, it will take over his room and force him to move in with his big brother and the dogs.

Although I've neglected to mention her, my daughter is quite an accomplished finger weaver. She has been at it since last fall, and tends to be more quality conscious and deliberate than her brother. She has begun experimenting with "2 finger finger-weaving" and novelty yarns.

Tonight when we returned home from day camp/dinner/tae kwon do/shopping, both kids were clamoring for "more yarn." Woohoo! Here they are with their new supplies:

For the uninitiated, finger weaving is really i-cord knitting with your fingers instead of a needle holding the stitches. My kids are all over me to try it -- they clearly believe it is superior to knitting as crafts go.

Yes, I have been doing some knitting. I'm almost to the bodice on the back of Josephine, and I got another inch of sock knitting done during my daughter's tae kwon do class tonight.

P. S. Before I could finish this post, the kids shouted downstairs -- K had finished her ball of novelty yarn, and E had finished the 1/2 skein of green and is starting on the burgundy. Heaven help me. They've turned into yarn disposals.