runlikejoy

Displaced Stay At Home Californian in rural N. Carolina

The Many Faces of Joy

The Many Faces of Joy

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Beauty


I am a knitter. I used to be crocheter but once I found knitting I decided that I loved it more and so I turned my back on crocheting. If I can figure it out, I will post a picture of something I have knit recently, but I have to figure out how to do that first.

I started crocheting in Portland when I was pregnant with my oldest child. I bought bad yarn that was really ugly and scratchy and made very ugly scarves and sent them everywhere as gifts. I sent one to a friend that never commented on it. I sent one to a friend in Miami with a gay pride rainbow motif. She called to tell me she got the scarf but that it was 92 degrees in Miami and she wasn't gay. I practiced and practiced and I didn't get any better.

I met a lady in the bay area who took time and patience and let me call her with knitting crises late at night and she held my hand while I whined and was difficult and she stuck with me and now I am a decent knitter. I can pick a pattern, pick out a color I like and make something cute and fun. I love it.

Recently I had a friend who was celebrating a birthday and I labored over what to give her for the momentous event. I settled on a thick and warm scarf that I would design myself with a pocket at one end for keys and an iPhone so that when she headed out of her Central Park Apartment, she would stay warm and look cute. I worked for 2 weeks on that scarf, only picking the cutest and warmest yarns.

When she opened the box, I could tell she didn't like it. I felt terrible. I felt like she had kicked me in the face. I thought it was beautiful, why didn't she? I wished she could have seen how much time and energy I spent on it. I told her to give it to a homeless person, at least they would stay warm and have somewhere cute to put their keys and iPhone, that is if they had them.

And then it hit me, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.