Creative Project Turned Functional

This should probably have been placed on my biz blog but something just seemed to fit for me to put it here instead. Not everything creative that I do pertains to my business, as this set was done for my son; I knit the cap and scarf, while my mother crocheted the mittens (I added a string to make sure he doesn't lose his "Grammie made gloves").

I love working with fiber, love the feel of the yarn slipping through my fingers as I work the needles or hook to manifest something useful out of nothing more than a ball or skein of fiber that could always substitute as a cat toy-no cats here. Tristan also seems to love to pick through my yarn basket that sits behind my rocker near the fireplace-he's perfecting his pitch with my yarn these days.

I am currently working on a few fiber projects at this time-yes, all at once but in stages. A sweater for myself, a couple of throw rugs for the kitchen, repairs to a hoodie I made for one of my buyers, and a "I need a moment" throw that I've completed and then tore out to restart-its hot pink. Busy? A little but it keeps me focused on the knowledge that each project will manifest into an end result and be something functional when completed.

Over the years, looking back at times, I've always done something creative; I've learned in more recent times that functional creative projects seem to be most satisfiying for me, and when I can share that with people who are looking for something locally tailored/made, it makes me feel like I'm doing my part in the cycle of working with natural materials to create something made by hand, something of quality and not mass produced to satisfy with low pricing and the idea of if it breaks, it can be easily replaced because there are a million more. I consider myself a one of a kind person, and I like to make one of a kind creations.

So, know that Aunt Sophie and Grammie were doing the right thing when knitting gifts for family, that their efforts were to be praised, not hidden in the closet and forgotten about. Although, the holiday motif and farm animal sweaters when you're a teen just didn't go over big in junior high, those lovely women were putting their love into those moments of creativity.

I'm still finding Cheerios in my shoes but now I want to know how they get stuck to my yarn. ~Mom