Knitting

My mother knew howto knit（编织）,but she nevertaught me. She assumed, as did many women of her generation,that knitting wasno longer a skill worth passing down

from mother todaughter. A combination of feminism（女权主义）and consumerism（消费主义）made many women feelthat such homely accomplishments were now

out of date.MyGrandmother still knit-ted,though,and every Christmas she made a pair of socksfor my brother and me,of red wool. They were the ones we wore under our ice

skates（冰鞋）,when it was really important tohave warm feet.

Knitting is anervous habit that happens to be productive.It helped me quit smoking by givingmy hands something else to do .It is wonderful for depression because no matter

what elsehappens,you are creating something beautiful.Time spent in front of thetelevision or just sitting is no longer time wasted.

I love breathinglife into the patterns.It's true magic,finding a neglected,dog-eared old bookwith the perfect snowflake design,buying the same Germantown wool my

grandmother used, inthe exact blue to match my daughter's eyes,taking it on the train with me everyday for two months,working enthusiastically to get it done by

Christmas,staying uplate after the stockings are filled to sew in the sleeves and weave in theends.

Knitting has taughtme patience.I know that if I just keep going,even if it takes months, therewill be a reward.When I make a mistake,I know that anger will not fix it,that I

just have to go backand take out the stitches（针脚）between and start over again.

People often ask ifI would do it for money,and the answer is always a definite no.In the firstplace,you could not pay me enough for the hours I put into a sweater. But more

important, this isan activity I keep separate from such considerations.I knit it to cover mychildren and oth-er people I love in warmth and color. I knit to give them

something earthlythat money could never buy.

Knitting gives mylife an alternative rhythm to the daily deadline.By day I can write about Northern Irelandor the New York City Police Department and get paid for it,but on

the trainhome,surrounded by people with laptops,I stage my little rebellion.I take outmy old knitting bag and join the centuries of women who have knitted for love.

Why did many womenfeel that knitting was out of date?

A.Because theirmothers didn't teach them.

B. Because they wereinfluenced by feminism and consumerism.

C. Because they werefeminists.

D. Because they wereconsumerists.