I recently acquired the book “A Gathering of Lace” and was absolutely thrilled when I opened its pages. I had mentioned it during the lace Knit-A-Long from a couple of months ago and had planned on getting it. Lucky for me fortune was smiling as I found a posting for it for only $15. Needless to say I scooped it up and made a new friend in the process. Anyways, i have to tell you what was written for the dedication –
” How would it look, do you think, if everyone, old and young, would sit down together
to knit for a while? Laughter and merriment and riddles and questions and folktales and
anecdotes from each person’s life would blend together in the stitches. Then later, when
you recalled these events that have gone through your own fingers stitch by stitch, they
would speak their own language. Do you remember? do you remember?”
Hermana Stengard, Gotlandsk Sticksom, 1925
Translated by Lark Books and reprinted in The Mitten Book
This dedication really spoke to me because over the last few months I have been working on a project to do just this. That project is called “A Common Thread” and while it will start with knitting, it will eventually branch out and encompass a vast array of “threads”. The goal is to get like-minded people together to do what they enjoy doing most – in this case knitting. It would be just as Hermana had said – everyone young and old, sitting together and knitting. I have even gone as far as writing out an ideology for the group …
“through A Common Thread, we dissolve all differences … economic, physical, gender, age,
sexuality, ethnic, and intelligence. through A Common Thread we are able to connect in a way
we would not have known. through A Common Thread we have the tools to shape our destinies
and the destinies of others. through A Common Thread we are able to unify and collaborate.
through A Common Thread we are able to speak in a common language and see with different yet
similar eyes. through A Common Thread we are able to share our thoughts, our feelings, and our
dreams. through A Common Thread multitudes are one and one is a multitude. through A Common
Thread I have come to know you, and we stand naked and unashamed before each other.
through A Common Thread all this is possible.”
So what is A Common Thread? At this point it is an idea that is taking shape and will be launched soon. I don’t want to limit it through definitions at this point as I would like to see what it evolves into through common efforts. Stay tuned for more information about it and how you can be a part of it. Yes, you, as by simply reading this we are connected through A Common Thread.
Hugzzz 😎