With These Hands

In the early 1970s, I had a little textile business -- my first of many -- in the Santa Cruz Mountains, called With These Hands. Largely I designed and sewed custom clothing, and I also sold commercial knitting yarns and supplies. "Little" was the operative word then, as the shop, located in a crafts center in an old Victorian near the San Lorenzo River, was only 9 x 13 feet square! OMG, I just remembered that I have this photo of me in that shop...

That oval piece hanging behind me was a favorite embroidered art piece of my own design and execution, which a few years later I gave to someone I shouldn't have, someone who didn't mean that much to me but I was hell bent at the time to give away parts of myself to the wrong people. God only knows where it is now, who could possibly possess it. If you're reading this and you know where it is, please let me know or send it back!!!

The business card here was created for me by the friend who taught me how to spin. She, too, was multi-talented.

Anyhow, way back then, before I taught myself how to knit, I was a crocheter, and I crocheted enough Granny Squares to make me never want to do it again.

But alas, earlier this week I started an ever-growing Granny Square out of small leftover lengths of handspun yarns that I hope will become big enough to be an afghan. All I can say is this: NEVER SAY NEVER!

I don't expect to give up knitting for crocheting anytime soon, because even with all the updatedness of crochet, the new patterns and designs, I still think of it as a clunky half-sister of knitting. But there is a rhythm to crochet that I enjoy, especially the part about just going for it without having to pay attention to a pattern, and I am loving my handspun leftovers becoming something useful. As with my weaving thrums, Waste not, want not!