Janet Gogerty's Blog: Sandscript - Posts Tagged "nella-last-in-the-fifties"
Sandscript gets the Needle
Why don’t dolphins knit? They don’t have hands and they don't wear clothes are two obvious answers. I saw a U-tube clip of dolphins making ‘amazing’ rings of air bubbles in the sea. For highly intelligent creatures who could well be as clever as humans, making bubbles seemed a poor substitute for the range of creative arts and crafts we have at our finger tips. From Bower Birds to Beavers, we are not the only creatures to make things, but do other animals do it from necessity, instinct or for pure art?
Only an avid knitter would understand the pleasure of finishing a garment, not just to wear it or please someone with a gift, but for the fun of rummaging through one’s stash of yarn and pile of patterns to start on the next project. A dressmaker breathes in the heady scent of new bales of cloth, you don’t need to be a carpenter to relish the exquisite perfume of new sawdust.
Most people have an inbuilt urge to make something; for occasional relaxation, as a career or an all consuming hobby. To be kidnapped and kept in total isolation would be a nightmare for any person, the loneliness, discomfort and sensory deprivation; no book to read, or music to listen to, no pen to write with and no materials to make something. The only time I watch television without needles of some sort in my hands is when sub titles require concentration.
Knitting is a take anywhere handy obsession to have (except on commercial airline flights since terrorists turned the humble knitting needle into a weapon). I know an elderly lady who takes her knitting everywhere. Her husband loves classical music, she does not; she sits in the foyer of the concert hall happily knitting while he enjoys the concert. She chats to Saint John’s Ambulance and bar staff and has a very pleasant evening.
D.I.Y. is less portable, but the enthusiast will not sit at home for long, even on winter evenings, without leaping up to consult his books, the internet or to get out his tape measure to plan the next project.
I loved reading the diaries of Nella Last written during World War Two and afterwards for Mass Observation; you can read my review of ‘Nella Last in the Fifties’, here on Goodreads. I could understand her urge to write every day and also her love of sewing and crafts; from sophisticated dressmaking to using scraps for her little dollies, she always had something on the go to enjoy while she listened to the wireless.
Those who love to create must constantly think of new things to make. The first episode of the gentle BBC comedy ‘Jam and Jerusalem’ had me laughing straight away as we saw the interior of the parish church, every pew was covered in colourful crocheted blankets. Like the Victorians, those who sew and knit love to cover everything. At the Close Knit Café in Southbourne-on-Sea the outdoor seats have colourful throws, the parasol is knitted and even the lamppost sports a knitted tube.
http://www.closeknityarncafe.co.uk/
And what of the dolphins? We cannot imagine what it is like to live in the sea, or to be a dolphin, perhaps they have their own creative inner life in the ocean. But for humans, making things does seem to be important. Occupational Therapy has long been valued; foot and mouth paintings or assisted gardening for the disabled help fulfill a need. On a visit to a hobby superstore you may find crafts you did not know existed, be careful what you buy in case you become addicted.
Only an avid knitter would understand the pleasure of finishing a garment, not just to wear it or please someone with a gift, but for the fun of rummaging through one’s stash of yarn and pile of patterns to start on the next project. A dressmaker breathes in the heady scent of new bales of cloth, you don’t need to be a carpenter to relish the exquisite perfume of new sawdust.
Most people have an inbuilt urge to make something; for occasional relaxation, as a career or an all consuming hobby. To be kidnapped and kept in total isolation would be a nightmare for any person, the loneliness, discomfort and sensory deprivation; no book to read, or music to listen to, no pen to write with and no materials to make something. The only time I watch television without needles of some sort in my hands is when sub titles require concentration.
Knitting is a take anywhere handy obsession to have (except on commercial airline flights since terrorists turned the humble knitting needle into a weapon). I know an elderly lady who takes her knitting everywhere. Her husband loves classical music, she does not; she sits in the foyer of the concert hall happily knitting while he enjoys the concert. She chats to Saint John’s Ambulance and bar staff and has a very pleasant evening.
D.I.Y. is less portable, but the enthusiast will not sit at home for long, even on winter evenings, without leaping up to consult his books, the internet or to get out his tape measure to plan the next project.
I loved reading the diaries of Nella Last written during World War Two and afterwards for Mass Observation; you can read my review of ‘Nella Last in the Fifties’, here on Goodreads. I could understand her urge to write every day and also her love of sewing and crafts; from sophisticated dressmaking to using scraps for her little dollies, she always had something on the go to enjoy while she listened to the wireless.
Those who love to create must constantly think of new things to make. The first episode of the gentle BBC comedy ‘Jam and Jerusalem’ had me laughing straight away as we saw the interior of the parish church, every pew was covered in colourful crocheted blankets. Like the Victorians, those who sew and knit love to cover everything. At the Close Knit Café in Southbourne-on-Sea the outdoor seats have colourful throws, the parasol is knitted and even the lamppost sports a knitted tube.
http://www.closeknityarncafe.co.uk/
And what of the dolphins? We cannot imagine what it is like to live in the sea, or to be a dolphin, perhaps they have their own creative inner life in the ocean. But for humans, making things does seem to be important. Occupational Therapy has long been valued; foot and mouth paintings or assisted gardening for the disabled help fulfill a need. On a visit to a hobby superstore you may find crafts you did not know existed, be careful what you buy in case you become addicted.
Sandscript
I like to write first drafts with pen and paper; at home, in busy cafes, in the garden, at our beach hut... even sitting in a sea front car park waiting for the rain to stop I get my note book out. We
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