The ruminations of an artist on art & life...art quilts, beading, knitting, drawing, painting, printmaking, bookmaking are all my passions, I love to explore creating....

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Knitting and Community

(I am still on vacation!) So far, what an enjoyable trip I am on! I am knitting away on each leg of the journey--nothing like train and jet travel and train stations and airports to help one catch up on knitting projects. I find I enjoy knitting while watching and listening to people (all strangers) in both train stations and airports. Knitting also seems a great way to break the ice---folks who would normally not notice me as they wait for their airplane--let along talk with me--now ask me: "What are you making?" and then we get nicely acquainted. Since I am convinced that alienation from others is one reason our country and culture is so seemingly neurotic and violent, I am pleased when my creativity sparks conversations with strangers in public spaces. Hooray for knitting! if it helps foster a sense of community--even in an airport.

Yesterday I was sitting in a small Cafe--above a a nice local independent Bookstore---enjoying some tea while I knit, and two women approached me with their knitting bags and said--"We just had our knitting group meeting downstairs--you should join us!" they seemed quite disappointed when I told them I did not live there, but was only visiting. Ah! we are now everywhere...no longer do we feel we must hide out at home in front of the telly--but we proudly knit in public! and then we talk to anyone who will listen about our knitting. Who knew that a knitting revival could make such a difference? (well, maybe Elizabeth Zimmerman knew this) I feel blessed to be able to help spread the word how knitting together can help heal our fractured culture.

My own needlecraft group--which meets once a month at my house---very often is a time of healing or supportive advice for one of us, as well as a place where we help each other with our knitting or other needlecraft. I have now begun to knit with my ritual morning coffee---knitting while awakening is quite a meditative process, and a pleasant way to begin the day. I like beginning the day with a project where I can see immediate tangible progress accomplished. (oh! look! another 2 inches knit!)

4 comments:

The Lone Beader® said...

Cool. Maybe I'll do some beadwork on the plane on the way to London this spring=:)

- said...

hi,

i just found your site - i'm an artist in sf - mind if i link to you?

~spydr

- said...

Hi Aurora,

Thanks for responding. I do write about art and artmaking, but as one topic among many rather than the entire focus. I was Intermedia in college, which pretty much means I'm all over the place and I like it that way :) but eventually I want to divide my links up into categories, and art will be a large one.

Thanks & I'll add you today,
Spydr

Lena said...

Your vacation sounds lovely. I don't knit, but do handwork with a few friends now and then at a craft night and always enjoy the feeling I come away with. I always travel with handwork too.
I read a book a while back about knitting. I'm sorry I don't remember the title right now, but it discussed knitting and knitting groups, and how they've become very popular since the World Trade Center attacks in NYC. For the reasons that you've mentioned. People wanted comforting and a way to reconnect to one another Knitting helped to foster that.