There is more to Senior Frederic Bowen than meets the eye. Most know him as a member of Sunlake’s color guard, or as an accomplished student, but what one might not guess is that Freddy has been knitting since he was in the fourth grade! “My Great Aunt Phyllis taught me how to knit,” he said. “She knits and sews, and has inspired my creativity since I was little.”

With eight years of experience, he’s learned a lot thanks to his unique hobby. “Knitting is a form of mathematics. There is a lot of counting, adding, and grouping that needs to be done, and knitting has allowed me to become very quick at this mental math.” Even better than knitting itself, though, is the reward that comes after! “I like the finished product better than the process. While the knitting is fun, the goal is what keeps me going.”

One finished piece Freddy is especially proud of is “this blanket I made for AP 3D Studio Art. I started in June and finished 30 minutes before the 1:44 PM deadline on the last day of the first quarter. I learned so many new stitch patterns while working on this blanket. The last rows of the blanket had a grand total of 1,000 stitches per row!” He loves knitting all sorts of things, but his favorite thing to knit is socks. “I enjoy using size 1 circulars and sock-weight yarn. The process moves quickly, and turning the heel is always fun. Lots of designs can be worked into a basic sock pattern.”

“I was so young when I first started that I didn’t know much about anything,” Freddy said, reflecting on the beginning of his knitting journey. “Knitting looked cool and provided my fidgety, nine-year-old self with something to do. I’m grateful I decided to pick it up.”