hard decisions, to stay or go

We all face this dilemma with things our kids have made.  Whether it's paper, a painting, a photo, an uneven bowl or funny sculpture from pottery class or in this case, a first attempt at knitting a scarf.  Carter was about 11 years old when I showed him how to knit.  He was forever making rubber-band balls and had great dexterity with his hands.

I was a total novice myself when it came to knitting, but took an adult ed class and was happy (and rather insistent if I am being honest) to share my new found craft with Carter.  He took right to it.  He made scarves, hats and cell phone covers that had pom-poms on them.  So cute!  It kept him busy and he had his own collection of yarn.  6th grade made way to 7th grade and by then it just wasn't cool to knit anymore.  That's what he thought anyway.  I tried to tell him that girls would think it was "wicked cool" to have a boyfriend who could knit them a hat, but no go.  

All of the yarn was banished to the back of the closet and eventually donated to the band yard sale.  Now that we are having a good go-through of the house we are having to face all of our collections.  Like a square dance, everyone is moving one room to the left.  And the things that were cherished as 7 and 10 year olds are no longer important (to them).  And then it becomes my job, as mommy, to make decisions about precious objects like hand-knitted scarves.  So now this story comes full circle.  I have gotten as far as writing about it and taking a photo of it, but it's still going in the "still thinking about it" box.