twilight knitting
When LIW was 76, she wrote: "I like to crochet and knit and embroider, to piece quilts and quilt them. I have done and still do a great deal of such work."

Some of Laura's needlework references were edited out of the "Little House" books prior to publication -- little things like saying that Laura was crocheting with Clark's Number 10 thread or that Mary's apron had a pocket to keep her yarn from rolling to the floor. But it's obvious from the items on display in Mansfield that Laura loved fancy-work. Maybe it was only certain aspects of hand-sewing that she didn't like?

In the manuscript for By the Shores of Silver Lake, it's knitting that Mary doesn't put away at twilight because she can see with her fingers. Mary was knitting a pair of socks for Pa; they show up at Christmas in the published version. Ma put the stitches on the needles for Mary, and Laura picked up stitches that Mary dropped.

I thought about twilight knitting today. I was knitting on two-color socks when the sun went down and I couldn't tell the colors apart, so I had to stop. I thought about Mary, but what I really wanted to know was what kind of heel she used in Pa's socks!
- posted by pioneergirl at 12:51 AM