kin

London Underground trains rattle and rumble along dark tunnels and its fun to look at the distorted reflections of passengers on the curved windows opposite. Sometimes, out of the corner of my eye I see someone knitting and have a mini jolt of excitement! Thrilling! What are they making? Only to discover, on furtive second glance, that they are untangling headphones. Mixed with a heart sink of disappointment is laughter at myself because this has happened on countless occasions. I'm tuned into the makers, the menders, the stitchers, subconsciously searching for kin, as we all are.

wooly thinking

knitting - pattern - mapping

anxiety - belonging - getting lost - getting found

solace in the familiar

in making

in creating

doing what I know I can

not thinking too hard

seeing the impact of time and skill

a stitch for a step

a way to avoid and hide

a way to find myself

to feel the ache of sitting too long

to imagine the next project while working on this one

the wool 

a line 
that will guide me out of the dark forest

a trail of bread to be eaten by birds

an escape route

a rhythm 

a beat 

a measure

knitting

On my 40th birthday last year my friends mum, Catherine sent me this marvellous thing:

We share the same birthday, and her making this happy birthday creature pleased me no end. I was actually quite envious of the oddness, the finishing, the colour-way and expression on happy birthday's face - knowing I'd not be able to resist the urge to tidy and straighten and colour-way! All year I hatched a plan to reply to this gift, to ping back an answer... and this was born:

Catherine has called it Philomena which is a rather grand name. They are bonding and planning a happy life together. I've made a pattern and my sister has requested a creature too, which should be finished by next weekend.

Talking of a happy life together my wonderful friend Anna has just given birth to her first child, Alexi. A year or so ago I knitted Anna a moss stitch scarf in royal blue, using the crappy acrylic wool that I so love. So here is blanket that I've made for baby Alexi, including the blue wool used in Anna's scarf. Well done Anna, Edi and Alexi.

I do love knitting, it keeps me on the straight and narrow.