I Like Math?

Last Thursday, I mentioned math in a casual converstaion. This prompted my friend* to ask if I like math. "Nooo!," said I, wide eyed with wonder at this ridiculous question. "Who likes math?" After a short but uncomfortable silence, I then heard myself say, "Well, except for the knitting. There is a lot of math in knitting."

"Really...?," said my friend curiously.

"Well,  sure! You know, let's say I want to knit a pair of socks...generally it takes 70 grams of yarn for a pair for me, but it takes 90 grams for a pair for my husband, and over 100 grams for socks that would fit my son-in-law nicely. So, when you buy the yarn, it comes in 50 grams or 100 grams, and you have to know how much to get, and how much you'll have left. With 30 grams leftover, I could knit a pair of fingerless gloves, or the toes and heels on another pair of socks!"

Polite nodding commenced...

"Or, maybe you want to knit a sweater, and you have a pattern that takes worsted weight yarn, which has approximately 220 yards in a 100 gram ball...but you only have DK weight yarn in 50 gram balls, about 150 yards each. Math to the rescue! And you get to use ratios!"

The polite nodding continued, though his smile was fading. I went on...

"Or, like right now. I am knitting a blanket with a pound of yarn, and I am close to being finished, I have 24 more rows. But I am not sure I have enough yarn to finish. What do I do? Math!!! Weigh that yarn to see that there are 2.8oz left (of 16), which means that I have already used 13.2oz on how many rows? Wait...these are 12 row blocks, and I need a total of 19 blocks, and I have 17 completed. If 17 blocks takes 13.2oz, then how much yarn do I need for the last two blocks? A simple ratio, and 19x13.2/17 tells me that I need a total of 14.75oz, and I started with 16oz, so I will have plenty to finish, with just over an ounce leftover! Isn't that great?!? I wonder what I can do with that last ounce? I suppose I will have to use another ratio to figure out how many yards it is, then maybe a baby hat or booties?...oh! The possibilities! Doesn't it just make you want to knit more???"

At this point, I looked over. The polite nodding had stopped, and he was just...there, silent, head slightly cocked to one side... So I said, "Huh...I guess I DO like math! And knitting...ha!"

"Yeah, Gramma. That's great, but don't you have to leave for knitting?"

So, yeah, I like math. I love Jesus with my whole heart, I enjoy knitting (probably a bit too much), and I like math more than I readily admit on most days. That is me in a nutshell. I also like talk...and talk...and talk...apparently. Lol!

What do you like? Whatever it is, thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

*Based on a true story. 
*No, friends, the baby did not talk to me. But I am sure that he was thinking all of those things. And so what if I embellish a little here and there...?