Something I seem to be really good at is watching TV. Reading emails and looking at Facebook. For hours. Knitting.
Somehow, during a pandemic these are all good skills to have. I am sure to many, my life sounds boring and maybe.
But here's the thing. I am a craft junkie. I look at every crafting catalog that comes along. I long to do everything. All of it. Knitting, cross-stitch, weaving, even spinning wool. If I felt that I had any talent I would love to be able to draw and paint. I am pretty good at photography though I would like to be better.
Where does this desire to create and make things come from? Is it part of my being maternal? All creating ? Is it genetic? Both of my grandmothers were always creating some sort of needle craft or another.
My maternal grandmother could knit and crochet. I have a beautiful blanket that she crocheted for me over 50 years ago. And I know that she made similar blankets for my cousins. I have the Barbie doll clothes that she knitted for me and my dolls.
My paternal grandmother did knitting and crocheting as well, and also some embroidery. I have some beautiful, lace table cloths that she crocheted in a very fine stitch with thread and small hooks. I have a couple of embroidered items she made as well.
I am sure that both them did much of their early needlework as a matter of practicality. Darning holes in socks when there was little money for new socks and a great disdain for waste when something could be repaired rather than replaced.
But I don't have that kind of need. I did sew a lot of my clothes when I was in high school as did my sister and many of my friends. Two of the bridesmaids dresses in my wedding were home made.
It was, back then, cheaper to make your own clothes than to buy ready made. This was before there were so many inexpensive products imported for China and other countries that pay very low wages and can churn out inexpensive clothing.
I still like sewing. When I was the day care provider for my sister's two granddaughters, I made them a lot of really cute, matching dresses. I knitted sweaters for them too. It is largely done as an act of love with a good dose of creativity thrown in. I have never seen anything similar to what I have created (knitted or sewed) in the stores.
I love knitting for new babies. Often when I know someone with a new baby I will knit something- usually a sweater. Sometimes too small, sometimes too big. But it's the thought and love that counts. I even took a knitting project to the hospital when I had brain surgery- I was working on a sweater for a friend's son.
I am not really sure I need to over analyze why I knit and create. I just do. I get such a feeling of calm and purpose.
I made a hat for a friend who was about to lose her hair to chemo. I was about to lose my hair to brain surgery, so I made a matching hat for myself. I recently sent the hat that I made for myself to another friend who has lost her hair to chemo. I bought yarn to knit more hats for this friend but I just cannot make myself do it. I feel fairly certain that she is about to lose her battle.
Another friend who is going through cancer treatment has a scarf/ shawl I made specifically for her. The yarn is so soft. She told me that when she was undergoing chemo, while she had blankets on her body, the scarf kept her neck and shoulders warm. I cannot cure anything. But I can send love and hugs that I have put myself into. Every stitch is love.
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*“A 'maker' is someone who can take an idea and bring it to life. They are able to use a tool or supplies in a creative way to realize something.”
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