I interviewed my mother, Julie, for this practicum. When interviewing my mother there is no denying that we have a full history and relationship where over the years we have played so many roles and parts in each other’s lives. During the interview, I was very aware of the changes in her voice that I am used to hearing in her more public facing conversational style and the softening that comes with the ease of familiarity and comfort. Listening to parts of our conversation, my partners highlighted the playfulness and the similarity of our voices and speaking patterns. This may be an exaggerated exploration of what it is like to interview someone you know, but it also very much let me explore how to be comfortable asking about things that were not brought up that I knew wanted to hear more about. Excerpt #1 is from early in the conversation where my mom is telling me things, she knows I already know, the difference between Continental and English style knitting, where we are still more in interview mode than having a conversation.

Excerpt #1:

Julie:   So I had decided after Nora was born that I was going to learn how to knit so I could knit sweaters and other things and um when I was 31.. 32 we moved to Robbinsdale so one of my goals was to learn to knit so I went to a knit shop took a beginning class and started knitting after that

Anna: So I am curious, you said that like um your grandma crocheted blankets and things like that [Julie: mhmm] so crocheting was what you kind of knew of as like the thing and you didn’t really know anyone who knit [Julie: right] so what made knitting something that you wanted to do—

Julie:   I liked knitted objects better

Anna: you liked them as the object better

Julie:   Yea it’s like I actually grew up liking crocheted afghans better ‘cause they are heavy and not like drapey [Anna: yea] I mean they’re— a little too strong but it creates a very different kind of fabric [Anna: ok] I think the knitted [Anna: yea] but I liked the knitted for shawls and s— and sweaters and I wanted [Anna: ok] to be able to make things to wear to drape and [Anna: ok] so I really wanted that fabric [Anna: ok] yea

Anna: ok […] so you started knitting um because you wanted to learn how to make sweaters and [Julie: yea—] things like that

Julie:   —first thing I knit, so they, knitting is the, there’s two main ways, there’s a lot of ways, but there’s two main that are talked about, at least there’s two Western um communities which is the continental and the European, the picker and the throw methods, I mean continental or English [Anna: yea] English is the, is the throw [Anna: ok] because you use two hands and you let it go and you throw the yarn around it [Anna: ok] and the continental is you hold the yarn in the other hand and pick it, so they’re called, you know throw and pick—

Anna: —picker and the throw? [Julie: yea] ok

I asked my mom to choose an interview topic, something that she felt was a meaningful part of her life and she chose knitting. I decided to use a semi-structured interview, so I prepared a few topic-related questions to have as touchstones for the interview. After my initial question around how my mom first learned about knitting, the conversation flowed pretty naturally. The only question that did not naturally come up was “Do you consider yourself a “knitter”? and Do you think people see you as a “knitter”?” I asked these questions midway through a 40-minute interview, but it wasn’t until the end that when I opened up the space for her to share any final things about knitting, that she turned the question playfully back on me. In Excerpt #2, my mom asked me “When will you be a knitter?” and then quickly answered her own question “I think you’re a knitter.” This showed me what was still on my mom’s mind at the end of the interview and reinforced the importance of creating the opportunity for the interviewee to take the lead. Without preparing questions in advance, this would not have been a question. At the onset, I would not have initially thought that one of the most intriguing parts of  this interview would be our co-construction of what it means to be a “knitter.”

Excerpt #2:

Anna: Ok, so now [Julie: yes] are, any last things that you want to tell me about knitting?

Julie:   No, do you like knitting?

Anna: I do like knitting

[laughter]

Julie:   You glad you learned— when will you be a knitter?

Anna: mm.. you know

Julie:   I think you’re a knitter

Anna: I think I am too, I was just thinking about it when I was asking you that question, but—

Julie:   I think because you were immersed young so it’s clear like [Anna: yea] like you learned, like I’m a bike rider [Anna: yea] I have no problem saying I’m a bike rider we just don’t use that term much

Anna: And I think um another reason—

Julie:   —you learn it young you just do it

Anna: Yea well yea and I like another thing that I find surprising is like I find, or I guess I find it surprising when people I know don’t know I knit [Julie: tsk huh] because I do value it and have done it [Julie: mhm] my, for my life, like there have definitely been large periods of time when I haven’t [Julie: mhm] right? Um so there are people that suddenly get very close to and then they discover I knit and it’s a moment of but like you know me! But you know me, why don’t you know I knit

Julie:   Yes! Exactly