A bag of "smiles" can have

a remarkably calming effect on small children...and even bigger children.

Middle Cat and I spent yesterday helping a friend at a "fibre feast". It is an annual day run by our friend. It brings together people who make yarn, sell yarn, use yarn, play with yarn and need yarn related items. Local guilds and clubs can come along and advertise their groups and more. For the last few years it has been run in association with a "street fair" and there have been plenty of people going through.

This year we were worried because the street fair, held out of doors, was cancelled because of the weather. The fibre event was not so easily cancelled because some vendors come very long distances and had arranged their small businesses around the event. It went ahead and we think most people were very pleased by their sales.

Middle Cat and I were caring for the "information" stall. People can try out various sorts of knitting needles. Middle Cat talks to them about issues they might be having with their hands and shoulders and backs as crafters. I talk to them about other yarn related issues and problems and encourage them to try different needles and "ergonomic" hooks.  

As most people want to be there it is usually a very good day. There are children of course and I took along the remaining "smiley faces" we had made for the Christmas tree last year to hand out. They were a hit. 

The first one I gave away would have made the entire day worth the effort. The recipient was a tiny three year old who was more the size of a two year old. I had observed the hearing aids and the fact that her mother had signed something to her. She was very shy so I asked her mother if she thought her daughter might like to choose one.  Oh yes. she would undoubtedly like one. She was about to explain when I thought I could do it myself so I looked directly at the child and asked her, "Would you like one?" I signed "you" and "like" and "one" and her expression changed to one of disbelief. She looked at her mother for permission and then chose one and gave me a smile and the sign for "thank you" without being prompted. Her mother told me, "She has never done that with a stranger before." I was simply relieved to have been understood without intervention from her mother. 

After they had gone on a woman trying out a tiny circular needle looked at me and said,"That was huge for her wasn't it?"  Yes, perhaps it was but it should not be. More people need to know more signs. I really know very little, far too little. 

I also gave another smile face to a very obviously intellectually disabled adult. He was being coaxed around by his father as his mother chose some birthday gifts. "Knitting keeps my wife from going mad caring for him while I'm at work" I was told. His son could not choose one from the bag so we put out two, one in orange (his favourite colour) and another in purple. Told he could choose one produced a huge grin and when he indicated he wanted to wear it like a badge we found a safety pin and his father pinned it on. He went off with the same huge grin. 

Yes, the rest of the day was busy and we were very tired at the end of it but those two incidents made all the effort we put in worth it for me.