I taught my kiddo to knit several years ago. He's been largely disinterested until the last few days, which I've spent madly knitting commissioned accessories of various sorts for a friend who needs stock for a fair booth.
So, this morning I tell the kiddo I need him to saddle up so we can make a run to the LYS for more supplies. The little guy talked me out of a circular needle (don't we all carry a few in our purses??), snagged a *very nice* hank of (too expensive for a 7yo but I indulged him) silk/alpaca yarn in a shade of green that perfectly matches his eyes, then proceeded to sit at the table in the back of the store and cast on for a hat. He remembered how to start a long-tail cast-on without a slipknot and made a good guess at how many stitches he'd need to make a hat his size. He did need some help with the join but he's off and running on 1-1 rib.
To say I'm speechless is to make an understatement. Its been well over a year since the boy showed any interest in knitting so this is an out-of-the-blue development.
Now he wants a pattern to make two-color designs. I'm encouraging him to finish this cap by dangling a snazzy but simple Fair Isle pattern under his nose with a promise of a trip to the LYS so he can choose his own yarn.
+++++++++++++Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET. This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%. Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...