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My grandmother taught me to knit when I was about 6 years old. I used to go to her house after school and she gave me a set of knitting needles and some wool. She taught me how to make a knitted sample that we would later convert to a cushion. She had a craft room and did some very nice work.

I still remember that first cushion I made. She let me choose the knitting needles to use and whatever wool I wanted. Then we sat down and started casting on stitches. This is done by making a butterfly knot. You then have a knot on the needle with two strands of wool on the left and on the right. Loop wool from the left side and then wrapping wool over from the right side. Then lift the left loop over the right, until you have the desired number of "loops" or "stitches'.

I made lots of mistakes my first try, but Grandma's encouragement kept me on track. After I had a set of stitches cast on, I would practice the knit stitch on one row and the purl stitch on every alternating row. The knit stitch is quite simple. You simply take the knitting needle on your right hand and place it underneath the first stitch on the other knitting needle. Both needles should be in the same loop. Then you take your wool and wrap it around the needle counter clockwise. Then with the left knitting needle you push the bottom stitch over the loop you just made. The stitch will now be on the right knitting needle. Continue in this manner until all the stitches on your left knitting needle are transferred to the right knitting needle.

On the next row, transfer the right knitting needle so that the left hand is holding it. Then do a purl stitch. This is very similar to the knit stitch, but instead of taking the right knitting needle and putting it in under the stitch, you put the needle in from the top of the stitch. Loop the wool around the needle and lift the bottom stitch over the top loop. Continue with a knit row and then a purl row until you are happy with the finished size.

My grandmother has since passed on, but I have many memories of making cushions with her after school. It is a great memory and whenever I knit today, I can still hear her voice of encouragement, telling me to keep going and to maintain proper tension. "That will make a beautiful cushion", she would say.

Learn more about this author, Toni Laberge.
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