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| photo by balkers |
In a former life, I was a quilter. Only handwork for me. While other quilters pieced used a sewing machine, I hand-pieced whenever possible. While others used a long-arm (a huge industrial-sized quilting machine) or quilted with their little Singer/Viking, I loved the process of handquilting. Machines slayed me. The meticulousness of weaving a needle--the tinier the better--in and out of layers of fabric and batting...it relaxed me. It was my form of meditation.Now I knit. And although I could make vests and wall hangings and occasional bed quilts in my former life, I can only make scarves as a knitter. Fat scarves. Skinny scarves. Long ones. Short ones. Even though my inability to follow a knitting pattern limits me, knitting still serves several purposes. I can make beautiful gifts for friends, and the process of knitting relaxes me.
If you do crewel, I won't be cruel and say, "I've done that. I don't like it." If you engage in counted cross-stitch, I won't make you cross by declaring you "anal" and continue on about how nit-picky your personality must be. If you love to do crazy quilting, I won't make any snide remarks about your degree of sanity.
If you're a writer and you're into zombies and the undead (Joe, I'm talkin' 'bout you!), I'm clueless. But I'm not going to consider your talents any lesser than mine. I have no skill in that area, but I bow down when your red carpet is rolled out and your magazine article/short story/novel is carted out. And if you write romance novels, I cannot understand how you do it, but I'm not going to cut you down because your abilities differ from mine.
Have you ever been put down over your area of expertise? (You don't have to name any names.) Has anyone ever looked down their nose at where your talents lie? (You don't have to identify the nasal cavity, unless you want to!)
If you want the high falutin' version on this issue, go to Hope's blog. And if you want to talk trash about my post...keep it to yourself.
Hey, I think I better go check out Hope's blog! Which I usually do anyway....
ReplyDeleteNow my hobbies....You didn't mention the one I used to love to do....regular, old-fashioned, stamped with Xs cross-stitch!! That "counted" kind....Yuck!!
I've never quilted. I tried knitting, but never got the knack (couldn't keep the yarn on the needles). I do crochet (but haven't in a few years) and have made afghans; and I've done some needlework, but found it tiring. I never learned to sew by patterns, but I have a machine and do my own thing (I made my dining and living room valances.). As to being made fun of with regard to what I write, I'm happy to say I've not met with too many snarky comments. Romance seems to be the genre that elicits the most snickers, which is interesting since it is one of the biggest sellers out there. I read it (not the straight romances...I like suspense) and write it (not the steamy stuff...I'd die of embarrassment...I'm such a wuss) and consider it to be a lot of fun. I bounce around in genres and have fun with all of them, but romance and YA are where I land. (I love, love, love writing horror, but I'm not very good at it. That doesn't stop me, though.)
ReplyDeleteOkay...did you really want such a long answer? Probably not but, well, that's something else I do besides crocheting. I ramble. I'm an excellent rambler. :)
Lord above, I have a lot of trouble getting Blogger to let me comment here. I am not a quilter, but I saw the quilt museum in Cooperstown, New York, and was amazed. She typed for the fourth time.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for letting me know about Emmylou this morning!
As a former and very lucky winner of one example of your handiwork, I am an enthusiastic fan of your expert scarf-knitting! Especially since the few scarves I've attempted to knit before can only be described as amoeba-shaped.
ReplyDeleteOnce Becky and Linda and I did a book signing, and an older gentleman had some very negative things to say about the inspirational anthologies we were promoting. Linda was so sweet about lending him an ear, though, he was there for hours. Turned out he was desperate for the very kind of warmth that inspires that sort of writing!
Hi Sioux,
ReplyDeleteI've finished a few quilt blocks and done a bit of cross stitching. I gave up on cross stitch after one alphabet sampler I was so proud of only had 25 letters in it when I finished.
Yep. I've had my writing put down before. Been looked down on for the inspirational stories I write for the Chicken Soup and the now defunct Cup of Comfort books.
One writer who organized a group book signing at a library classified me as an "article writer" among award-winning novelists, mystery writers, essayists, etc.
No matter how I'm put down, dismissed, or classified, I'm a writer, and a writer's gotta write.
And now you have me curious to check out Hope's blog.
donna
First of all, I love the intensity of your catty writer punching keys on the computer, obviously riveted to the w-i-p. Second, I recently took up knitting and I have simple directions for a child's sweater. I'm now on sweater #5. I make each one a little different. If you're interested in a new project, Sioux, I'll be happy to snail mail you directions--free, of course.
ReplyDeleteOh, of course, I have to run over to Hope's blog to look. But of course, I feel dissed all the time, and not just as a writer. My hubby says I picked professions that everybody thinks they can do: teach, write, and edit, and so it's hard to feel respected. But I love Tammy's comment above: Linda is so kind-hearted and such a good listener, I can just see her doing this.
ReplyDelete