It really is true: Teachers learn more from their students then the reverse.

Last night in my beginning class--they've been knitting all of one week--one student, who had made admirable if erratic progress on her bag, drew a line in the sand and refused my suggestion to frog.

"There's no going back," she said.

Having reknit entire sweaters, ripped out sleeves and fronts, gloves, mittens, hats and complete shawls, I am invariably unsympathetic with the reluctance to rip.

"No going back," I said.

"Nope. No going back."

"It's going to be wonky..."

"Don't care."

Alrighty then.

Throughout class, however, this knitter was very intrepid about trying new techniques. She wanted to decrease on the purl side. Tink back to dropped stitches. And master increasing.

By 8 p.m. she had knit a large swatch of what may just become a very cool-looking bag. The fabric she made has an edgy, urban feel born of serendipity and not rules.

In focusing on the end product, I had forgotten the process.

Old dogs can learn new tricks.

Thanks, Ladies!