It was precisely this time last year when I first learned to knit and purl…and I’ve been knitting and purling since! It has also been precisely 2 years and 2 months since I picked up my hooks again to start crocheting patterns. I just completed my first knitted hat for Noora. And it was a hat pattern that was my first crochet project as well.
But it was precisely 11 days ago when my beloved uncle, who was like a father to me, passed away from this world. I was working on a hat for him…and I didn’t finish in time. I put my sticks down for a while, traumatized by not being able to give him that last gift of the hands, but am now endeavoring to finish that hat. All the while wearing the many hats required of me from day to day…
Hats. And hands. Writing, crafting, mothering, mourning. I wrote an article about what my hands have been doing this past year, and it was published on the Islamic stationery company, Silver Envelope’s website. Do have a look and tell me what you think–my article is entitled “In Memory of Hands”. And another article that may be of interest to you, is from the UK for a new Muslim children’s magazine akin to Highlights, entitled Discover Magazine. The article is a tutorial for children on marbelizing paper, and is a flashback to my art teacher days, but as always, you can check out the Corpus page on The Sandal to see my published works. I’ve attached a picture of the latter article below for your viewing pleasure…I’m pretty excited about these new spaces for my words and hands–a combination of my loves for crafting and reflection. InshAllah there’s more to come from these hands in the new year, in both craft and word!
And now that I’ve honed my skills in knitting and crochet, in 2013, you can look forward to me engaging with a new craft on my mission to reclaim the crafts blast from the past: sewing (including quilting)! Of course, I’ll still be continuing to engage with more knit and crochet projects. I’d like to learn cabling, fair isle, and how to make socks in knitting, and I’d like to start designing crochet patterns. A premonition for 2014 is getting into embroidery techniques…but let’s take care of 2013 first inshAllah, shall we?
A blessed 2013/1434 to you all!
My article on marbelizing paper for Discover Magazine (2012): “Let’s Make Cloud Art!”
Good AfterNoora 