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The Story of Glad Hearts

My Mom taught me how to knit when I was about 8, then again when I wanted to make a sweater for my then boyfriend (now husband).  My Mom convinced me to make an afgan for him instead so I could get my tension right before moving on to the sweater (I think she knew then that Bri was perfect for me and was helping me avoid the curse that comes with knitting a sweater for your boyfriend!).  I was making TONS of mistakes with the basket weave pattern and getting very frustrated.  My Mom told me “you’re not doing it with glad heart!  Stop thinking about the stitches and how many there are and start thinking about how much Brian is going to love the afghan, how he’s going to think of you when he is snuggled in it”.  I followed my Mom’s advice and the yarn just started to fly through my fingers!  I thought of Brian and not the stitches and the blanket became a source of pleasure not a source of frustration. 
My Mom’s “With Glad Heart” advice made me realize early on that I really don’t enjoy making anything unless I can think about who is going to enjoy the finished project.  When I am asked to make something for a “friend of a friend” or told “you could sell these” I can’t even imagine knitting without knowing who is going to enjoy it. 

“Knit on with confidence and hope through all crisis”.

-Elizabeth Zimmerman

In September of 1996 my Dad and my sister Rosemary showed me the ultimate example of with glad heart.  My incredible Mom, Iris, was suddenly gone as a complication from a pulmonary embolism.  Although it was the most tragic moment in our lives, Dad and Rosie’s first thought was of others.  While I was a sobbing and selfish puddle with no thoughts of others at the time, Dad and Rosie immediately asked to speak with someone about donating Mom’s organs.  Their selfless generosity saved others lives. 

Knitting  makes me feel close to my Mom.   I knit with Glad Heart to honor the generosity and graciousness of my Mom, Dad and my big sister Rosie.
 

“Through teaching you will learn and through learning you will teach and you’ll find yourself among the ones you love “

Phil Collins “Son of Man” from Tarzan

My favorite way to knit ”With Glad Heart” is to share my passion for knitting with others and teach them to make beautiful things by simply pulling loops through loops.  Knitting is calming and exciting all at once and can take the edge off those nasty bits of life.  Because of knitting, I actually look forward to opportunities to “wait” at airports, the DMV, anywhere! Knitting provides you with something you can control when things seem out of control.  Even hospital waiting rooms and treatment rooms become more bearable with knitting needles and yarn in your hands.

I am blessed to have met my “Sunday Knit Club” friends through my first “With Glad Heart” Knitting Class for the  BCCR (Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester) and Pluta Center.  Although I was initially the teacher, there is so much these wonderful ladies have taught me.  They continue to expand my definition of “With Glad Heart” and are passing their obsession with knitting on to others!