I'm a Knitter...I'm an engineer...
In high school, my piano teacher(bless her soul) asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told her that I wanted to be an engineer. "What do you want to be an engineer for? That's a man's job."

Oh how far we've come...

I was at an interview for an engineering position in Fort Worth, Texas. I was schmoozing over lunch with the hiring manager and his second level boss. "So, what do you do for fun? What are your hobbies?" Oh gosh, do I tell these very technical important men that I knit? So I went for it. Being a Filipino American woman, I was already not the kind of engineer they were used to. And then I bring up knitting. All they could say was, "Oh my sister is a quilter." They couldn't relate. So, I told them my theory...

Little boys always get to help their daddies in the garage: fixing the car, building a birdhouse, using tools. Little girls get to do that sometimes, but there's these gender roles in our culture. So little girls get to learn how to knit, how to sew, how to cook. I believe I learned how to think as an engineer from knitting and crocheting. It involves math(Yes, counting is math), thinking spacially, tactile learning, plus building. I also explained to them that quilting actually requires alot of math. Measurement and geometry. To me, it got pretty complicated, especially remembering to add seam allowance.

I feel pretty well rounded with my weird combination in skills. I have a plumb bob, I made in college shop class on a lathe. When I tapped the thread, I hit the measurement perfectly in the middle of the tolerance. I also have a sweater, I made. The arms are too long cause I just kept knitting and didn't want to take it apart. Also, the first sock I made. I was so proud of I wore it while I made its match. My prized possessions

Pretty cool, huh?