Entrelac - not just an infant formula

I've always loved the look of Entrelac, and Denise's beautiful Lady Eleanor Shawl tipped me over the edge. HAD to learn. The Spring 2007 edition of Interweave Knits has a how-to article. I dug out some Lion brand Wool-ease in pink and brown, and My first attempt wasn't great

see how lumpy and uneven the joins look? - I couldn't figure out how to pick up the stitches along the selvedge edge - I had to pick up 8, but there were many more than 8 to pick from...then Lyn at my wonderful Meet Up group, who was also bitten by the Entrelac bug, told me I should slip the first stitch of each row. Aha! Much better - thank you Lyn!!

So here's my finished little square:

Has to be blocked obviously, ends tucked in etc, but I'm pretty happy with it. No idea what I will do with it though - maybe knit a stripey square the same size, sew them together and make a wee cushion? Really seems like I should be working on the long list of Christmas knitting I set for myself...

Teaching to knit

Last weekend my 9 year old niece was in town, and very interested in my knitting. Her family has, of course, been the recipient of both knitted and crocheted items (mostly baby blankets) from me over the years, and she thought it was time to get in on the action herself. I took her to Jo-Ann's, where she proceeded to set quite the ambitious Christmas gift-making schedule for herself...scarfs for Mum and brother#1, hat for brother#2, gloves* for Dad...
She picked several balls of yarn in various shades of green, including a few balls of very impractical stuff to knit with...being the excellent auntie I am I let her get all she wanted of course. In addition to all the greenery, she also wanted Auburn colors to make herself a scarf, and good ole Red Heart obliged.
So I showed her how to cast on, and garter stitch, and at her request introduced the second color for stripes. We cast on 18 stitches, and she was up to 25 per row after an hour or so, but she did get the hang of it. She fell asleep with the needles in her hands that night (yay we have a convert!)
Harrison asked about patterns for young knitters - I think that scarves with stripes/fun fur etc. would be best - very uncomplicated stitches and those yarns hide mistakes well. Plus they knit up fairly quickly. There's a good thread about this on Ravelry. Voxmama suggests donating all those partial skeins and leftovers cluttering up the stash to the newbie, and see what she can create!


*I told my SIL that my niece asked me how to make gloves. SIL heard "make love." And so a family joke begins...

So how did you learn to knit?

This is my favorite ice-breaker question for other knitters.
Some people (e.g. Harrison), stagger me with the response "I taught myself". I just haven't got that kind of patience or comprehension. Hat's off.
For most people it was Mum/grandma/some other older female relative. I was taught by Sr. Canice, at National School in Callan, Co. Kilkenny, when I was in 1st class (3rd grade or so). All us little girls learned how to cast on, plain (knit) and purl stitches, and cast off. We knit cats. Rather abstract cats, given that they were, simply, two haphazardly shaped rectangles stuffed with Mammy's ripped tights and sewn together, button eyes, ribbon tied round the "neck". Boy was I proud of that cat.
My next project was a tie for my Dad. Pattern: Cast on 4 stitches in Kelly Green yarn. Knit one row. Repeat till Dad gets home from work. Cast off. Present hopefully, receive praise modestly. Observe said tie hanging in wardrobe till you move house some years later, when movers steal it.
So what's your story?