This could have been done very quickly, only I got a request from not one, but two males in the household (um, there are ONLY two) to redo the bottom. Seems that 'vents' are not to their style, even though one of the males will decidedly never fit into the sweater. Hmph. And so it's not difficult, I'll just rip out and knit a rolled-edge bottom like the gazillion Wallabies I've knitted for him.
In fact, this sweater is not unlike the Wonderful Wallaby pattern, although it is only for children. But I got tired of knitting that one, after seriously knitting five or six of them. This is knit top-down and has almost no finishing at the end. Love love love Knitting Pure & Simple Patterns!
A small, very personal note about the not-so-small boy (pictured right at a family wedding in mid July) who will live in this sweater in a few short months. He's turning 5 in a few weeks. Just in time to be technically eligible in our state to attend kindergarten. However, we are "redshirting" him and keeping him in preschool for another year. Our reasons are many and it took months and months to make the decision. I am really very sensitive about it; hoping to not make any decisions I will regret in years to come. I really hope this is the right one. Bugger off to the relative to recently told me that redshirting is "trendy"...yeah, that's why we're doing it. Because it's trendy. (insert expletive here)
12 comments:
WOW the sweater looks great! And your Boy is smashing in his suit. Kudos on making your decision based on your own gut. Screw that relative!
My parents thought I needed two years of preschool, and as a result I was the first of my friends to get my drivers license. That was, of course, totally awesome.
You know your boy better than anyone, and relatives can really be stupid.
LOVE the sweater. And I like the hem as it's pictured, but I certainly know that there's no point in keeping it if the wearer doesn't like it.
That sweater is going to be great! Your kids look gorgeous all dressed up to the nines. The decisions you make for your kids are for YOUR kids and you have to feel good about those and not care what others think. You know best!
I love how the sweater's turning out, with or without the vent! :-)
As for redshirting, I have 3 kiddos who all were born after the Sept 1 cutoff so the decision was made for us, but we would most definitely have chosen to wait until the next year if given the choice. Especially for a boy--he'll have a better chance of making most all sports teams because he'll be bigger, he'll be more emotionally mature throughout school... the list goes on and on. I think your decision is right for your family if that's what you want... and that's all that matters!
At first I thought it was a wallaby! Very cute! Too bad they want the original hem taken out... boys will be boys!
Props to you for making a tough decision! Trying to do whats best for your kids isn't easy... We are in the process of making one too. I'm still not sure what to do. (The whole home schooling thing... argh! I'm torn:)
Whether it is trendy or not, you no what is best for your child!
I like the vents at the bottom.
KVVS partner
That is a great sweater! I think it's a great idea to redshirt your son. I think of it as - do you really want to send a 17 yo off to college vs an 18 yo? Why not keep him home a year longer? As well as give him an age/physical/mental advantage?!
Love the sweater; now that I think of it, I don't see side vents in ready to wear very often these days. Subtle design differences...
That wedding picture is so precious.
As for the Kindergarten thing, I'm sure you're doing what's best for your son. No one knows him better. I've never heard of it being called "redshirting", but as an elementary school teacher, I can tell you it is infinitely easier to teach a child who is months older and more mature than it is to go through the agonizing process of deciding whether or not to retain a child in 1st, 2nd, etc. grade. My girlfriend is also a K teacher and her daughter is turning 5 in a couple of weeks. She is not going to K this fall, because her mom knows that there are social and emotional things that she needs to develop in order to be truly ready. There are so many factors to consider, and it seems that boys are more likely to be less ready than same age girls at this stage in their lives, so it seems that you are giving your child what we call "the gift of time."
I am so happy that you're going with your gut and making decisions based on what you know about your son and what's best for him. I really don't think you'll ever regret it.
I began school at a time when folks didn't adhere so strictly to cut-off dates, easily influenced by a woman with 2-1/2 year old twins and a 6m infant to allow the eldest (me) into kindergarten at four. (By the time I began 1st grade, she was due with her fifth!) You can't go back, of course, but she regrets that move and wishes she'd waited 'til I was really ready. I did fine throughout, though never stellar, and one can't help but wonder what difference another year would have made.
As a former teacher, I can tell you that boys who are closer to six when they begin school usually are more ready to learn. I think you makde the correct decision!
Don't worry about what anyone else says, you do what is best for your boy. I have two boys, 16 and 10, raising them alone, held one out until he was six, sent the other, both are AP and pre-AP with excellent scores, and are just generally really great kids. You can't base a descision like that on everyone else. It will be fine.
HI there! Came across your blog which is very cool by the way and read the post on "redshirting" the preschooler. I too struggled with the decision as to whether "red shirt" or not. We decided to go for it and let HER start kindegarten (also turning 5 very soon.) I think it will be interesting to see difference. I too, struggled with whether it was the right decision or not, especially later down the academic choo-choo train - especially socially. Oh well, good luck and keep up the nice blog! Regards from South Florida...MAMMARAZZI LIFE
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