And so he and Ian-who, it turned out, could also knit and was prostrated by mirth at my lack of knowledge-had taught me the simple basics of knit and purl, explaining, between snorts of derision over my efforts, that in the Highlands all boys were routinely taught to knit, that being a useful occupation well suited to the long idle hours of herding sheep or cattle on the shielings.
( Diana Gabaldon )
[ Drums of Autumn ]
www.QuoteSweet.com