Lake Stitcher has put up another thought provoking question for us this month. (Well, two questions.)
1. "Stitching is an activity that tends to be solitary. Sometimes I wonder if we choose stitching because we are more comfortable with pursuits that we do alone, or does our stitching cause us to loners?"
Actually, for myself, stitching is a way to be less of a loner. At my husband's family functions, I can be a bit overwhelmed, and my natural inclination is to stay at home. However, if I bring some sort of handwork with me, I find that I can retreat when the group gets to be too much. Then when I'm feeling less stressed, I put it away and rejoin the group. Also it has been a way for me to connect with my husband's nieces, as I've been teaching them to stitch and knit. When I go to visit my mother, as often as I can, I join in with her at her needlepoint class, which is a wonderful way to meet other people. My husband is very gregarious, and I usually am as well, but I find that when it's a struggle, my stitching often provides a way for my to be present with him, without feeling like I'm stressed.
2. "If you could create your own perfect stitching group, what characteristics would make it perfect?"
To be perfectly honest, I would prefer a group of all women. It's not that I have any problems with men, but for me, stitching has always been a way to connect with the women in my family, and so I deeply associate it with women. (Even though my husband knits, and I drag him to my LNS for help choosing colors.) I've always been a girls' girl and feel the most comfortable around other women. I would also be happiest if I was the youngest of the group. I have a hard time relating to people my own age. I guess I'm just an old soul, and have always been able to better relate to women my mother's or my grandmothers' ages than women of my own. In the summers when I would visit my grandparents, I much preferred the time I spent just hanging out with my grandmothers to the times I was taken to play with a playmate.
I love the solidarity my stitching and quilting gives me. It gives me time to think and work out the problems, etc. Sometimes it just helps me forget all the things that I have to do - a good thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd prefer an all female group too - I don't know but one or two male stitchers, but think I'd like all females.
I enjoy the time to myself that my needlework gives me. I think I also like that it's something that stays completed once I'm done working on it... unless I have to frog. ;)
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