Commonalities

Yesterday, I went to a small festival event at a local senior citizen center. This was their third time having this cultural event. It was created to display items and some food from the different countries that people in the area are from. Some even dressed in their beautiful native garb. I wanted to support one of the ladies from one of the knitting groups I attend. I also enjoy cultural events. You can learn so much about the country, people, and food.

As I looked at the different items displayed from the countries represented, I could see also commonalities across countries. Asian, European, and Spanish countries were represented. It is so fascinating to look at how things are made or what is used in the process, such as embroidery. The person who I knew told me that in the Ukraine, you can tell from the embroidery what part of the country the item is from. It's like a secret code. Having these festivals is what keeps the culture alive.

Ukraine

Peru

Peru

China

China

I thought of the link that we as knitters and crocheters have amongst us, no matter what country we are from. The groups that I belong to make up several different nationalities and countries. One person had a knitting book from Russia. Beautiful stitches. I was so excited to look at it. Even though it was written in the Russian language, the pictures talked to me as I could see commonalities within the stitches that they use and the stitches that we use. And you pick up new stitch patterns that you would not normally see. How exciting!

Having the knit and crochet groups, festivals, and conventions is what keeps the knitting and crochet world alive (go to the May 2nd post to find a few links).

As I sit and listen to classical music, I think of how timeless it is. Great composers are long gone, but their masterpieces still excite us and calm us down. How many times, I think of, that I went to concerts to listen to Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi and other greats. I also have CD's of their music. But there are musicians and orchestra's that present the music with more flare and deliver it a little better than others.

This can also be said for knitting and crochet. It has been around for a long time, no matter if you started knitting or crocheting when you were young, let it go for a long while, then returned, it is still here. The way you feel as you work your needles and/or hook, there is that calming affect that it gives. It is very therapeutic, as is classical music. Also, when we have a pattern that a few make the same pattern, you can see the individuality of each person in the end result. The pattern might be changed a little, the color chosen makes a difference, extras are added, such as embroidery or beads. That's why we need to keep the needle arts alive and pass them along.