Knitting is the Red Thread in my life...

This morning I had to go to Galerie Agnes Raben in Vorden to talk about my passion for knitting and what knitting means to me. It all started with my neighbour Ellen Korth who started about a year ago a Project called "Utilité". The content of the project are women and men who have a passion for textile-crafts..either spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet, felting...and more. She took pictures from all of them, and their work, did an interview and asked for a written article about the reason why everybody loved their passion. Since Ellen is my neighbour and because she has often see me knitting in front of the house I also would be a part of this project.

About 3 weeks ago 2 exhibitions(1 in Deventer at the Bergkerk and the other 1 in Vorden at Agnes Raben) were open to the public and the matching book was presented. I really love the book. The way it looks from the outside. My pages with the Heart I did knit for Bram when he was in the Rehab Centre (that also is in the exhibition in De Bergkerk and a lot of people are touched by it and by the story about it) My hands while knitting Still Life from projects I was working on. The written text. And a beautiful picture from me knitting in the livingroom. I really love this picture because I feel this is really me.

My knittingfriends Carla, Brent, Marnel are also in the book and it gives a nice view into their life.

So this morning I was invited to have a talk with Ellen about my passion for knitting..I didn't prepare anything, took some books and knitting with me and off it went. Guess being a teacher makes talking much easier. After the question why I was knitting I didn't stop talking and for more than 1 hour I had this rather pleasant monologue which everybody seems to enjoy. Everything passed by..my mother: who was a keen dressmaker and a very good knitter, my gran: who was very good in crochet, my first knitting needles which were always kept in my workdesk for years, my picking up knititng years ago and the kind of addiction to it till now. I found out that knitting alays has and probably will be a kind af "Red Thread" during my life. It connects me with myself, my family and the joy of making something really beautiful and giving it away is something I love doing. Before leaving my friend Tiny took a picture from me knitting in front of the big photo while Ellen was taking also pictures from me (yes, I did wear the same shirt...)

But talking about "Red Thread", the International Textile-Project our school was involved in. We had the last meeting 2 weeks ago in Glasgow. Students from my school in Enschede,Scotland and Slovakia made a lot of products to sell. After marketing the products in town. Yes, teachers came up with this Red line over the bridge to the store. There were: Telephone-cosies buttons and handmade labels printed tea-towelsblankets cushions..etc. and all made in collaboration with the other schools. The project was a joy to work on and we have this idea to continue with the label without funding. Maybe one day the label really will hit the market...

Next to the "sale-day"we also had a trip to Edinburgh (always nice) A nice lunch with all the Scottisch colleagues and Rob and Ria. A little Yarn-shopping for me...

The last day was about evaluation and being the organizer of this project you can see that I really love this part of my job. To work on something new and exiting with other schools and writing International Projects...my work wouldn't be so nice I guess.

And after the evaluation the tradition is to give little gifts to eachother. This time I got the idea to give all my female colleagues and handknitted lace shawl..and they all loved it!!!

And I also got a beautiful handmade scarf made by very talented young student Stewart from Cardonald College. Being a big Scotland Fan this shawl has embroided names from all Scottish Rivers.

After lunch we had a little tour in West End with a visit to Kelvingrove Museum (Loved this old Tartan) and a tour among the University...and this part is used in the Harry Potter Books..

We had a nice farewell dinner and the next day we all went back by plane to Holland.

Red Thread can mean a lot to me..or as they say in China: There is an ancient Chinese belief which states that there is an invisible red thread that connects each of us to all of the individuals who have been, currently are, and will in the future be important to us in our lives. This red thread can stretch, twist, and bend… but will never break.