Saturday, February 18, 2006

Calling all artists

I have a friend in Glasgow called Janie Thomson. She's a brilliant photographer, and she is starting a new project photographing women artists at work. She's blogging about it here , where you can see the first photos. She's keen to get in touch with all kinds of women artists, preferably in and around Glasgow, but further afield as well (I've volunteered!). If you think you would like to help out by being photographed, please comment at the blog. Many thanks!

Well, all day today, I've been here - not the website (which is a fabulous gallery of pictures by another talented photographer friend, Robin Somes - please go and view it), but the New Forest.

Not literally, sadly, but mentally. It's where I grew up, and I miss it with an intensity that amazes me at times - after all, I've lived here in Durham, three hundred-odd miles away, for longer now than I lived in Hampshire. I love my adopted county, but still, when I lose myself in thought, it's the New Forest that I see.

Today was the February meeting of the Knitting and Crochet Guild. Once again, I could not attend - the weather was too cold, I'm not as healthy as I need to be, and anyway I had no transport. So I knitted. Knitted and sulked, knitted and swore, knitted to avoid looking at the same four bedroom walls I see day in and day out. Knitted to escape.

Gradually it began to work the soothing magic I needed, and I was caught up in my own thoughts. I could remember the smell of the pines, the leafmould, the bracken. I could feel myself relaxing and recharging. The mind is an amazing thing, especially when knitting lets it roam.

It's been a lovely day. Not the day I wanted, but a good one nevertheless.

2 comments:

Daisy said...

I just got my March knitting mag with your pattern in! :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Heather, We missed you on Saturday. There were 15 of us!
Pins and Needles starts on Thursday but I don't think I'll get there this year.
Keep you spirits up, spring is on its way.
Love, Vicki