I make magic
Transforming fibre into yarn and then with two sticks; a hook or a loom into wearable items, toys, cloth, hats and countless other items, is an amazing thing to do.
In days gone by makers were thought to have special gifts that turned fibre into cloth. They were seen to have special knowledge. They wove their fabric like a magician weaves spells.
In ancient Egypt Neith was the goddess of weaving. She was the creator of the universe. The goddess of wisdom, weaving, the cosmos, mothers, rivers, water, childbirth, hunting, war, and fate. Neith’s symbol and part of her hieroglyph also looks like a loom.
In Greek Mythology Athena,the goddess of weaving, who when challenged by a talented mortal weaver Arachne transformed her into a spider!
My favourite stories are of how spells could be spun into the making of yarn and woven into fabric. The folklore of spinning is fascinating reading.
Spinning yarn counterclockwise was considered bad luck. So women deliberately spun counterclockwise and wove a shirt for their enemies! Widdershins is the term meaning to go counter-clockwise, or to go lefthandwise, or to walk around an object by always keeping it on the left. Probably why the poor Lefties had writing with the left hand beaten out of them.
Why a history lesson from me today?
Well I was rather pleased with myself for turning a small amount of yarn and a bit of fluff into a rather cute little rabbit. I waved a pair of sticks around, followed the words of the ‘spell’ and out came a rabbit!
This little rabbit’s spell comes from a Let’s Knit Magazine issue 148 Sept 2019. “knit your own Woodlands Friends” I’m a bit of a sucker for magazines with ‘freebies’ This little one is Daisy The Bunny.
My crochet bug has waned, I think I killed it when I tried to do two Rozettas! After making Daisy today, I’m feeling the need to make a few more instant gratification knits.
