Continuing on my last STARRY eyed post looking up to heavens for answers to the nature of our being, I want to bring us down to Earth, back to our bodies and embodied experiences (don’t yawn yet, it gets deeper). I want to look at the connections we create and continue in our making. The themes that keep us going, in fact propel our creativity forward.
Other people
To be precise, the important adults that shaped us as kids. It would have been your 89th birthday this year, and I miss you now more than ever. As I was frantically making star shaped blankets for all my friends, I looked at them one day and they reminded me of something significant. In that second it hit me, how much they look like the leaves you crocheted for us over the years, in any colour and size, whatever cotton yarn you got your hands on. I mean I have previously consciously based a blanket on them, as I noted all the way back in April 2019 HERE.
When I look at my work since I stopped blogging so profusely – because I have been on a new venture and taking my professional learning into the new field of occupational therapy, you can see how much I have been missing you.
“My dream is to make a blanket like they have in the American films.”
-You used to say that often.
I made them. I can make them and I use the granny square stitch with confidence now, and even made a few square blankets joined as you go, which was impossible when I came back to crochet all those years ago. See the BLANKETS page and blankets blog posts/ searches to read about the multiple journeys through the exploration of this technique.
In my recent work, though, both consciously and unconsciously, I am connecting the way you made a square, or as I call it the Annie square, with the tried and tested, timeless granny square.
And this, that realisation and reflection upon my recent work made me realise something else.
You are here!
In all and any work I make. There is always a connection with you. And other people. I make my giant rainbow and black blankets based on the work of a great glass artist. I make crochet decisions about colour based on things I have learnt from you, from him, and from a lot of people around me. There are always other people in my artwork. Always. Here is another reminder of us connection project:
And so, whether they are stars, flowers or leaves, we are who we know, and who formed us, and I for one am grateful for all the people who helped shape me and influenced my creative development!
May more of them come up in my work going forward.
Thanks for reading!
