Dear Stacey, (6 Nov 25)

How are you on this fine day? I have been stationed as my mother’s carer this week to give my Dad respite. I love being in their coastal home and having my senses fed in different ways. I love to see how the plants pair differently in this seaside landscape. The bird life is different also and the wind howls up from the sea. The other night I couldn’t sleep for the wind blowing a gale and rain slapping the windows.

I am teaching my Mum to paint, she has dementia and things are slowly getting harder for her. I approach teaching with a sense of not trying to have an outcome but just enjoying the process. I’ve had to rip out some knitting while I have been here to fix a glaring mistake (as encouraged by you)! What you said resonated, “Knitting is knitting after all” we can’t always knit for a finished object- the process is the goal also, being able to relax, enjoy the yarn and watch something be made from a ball of wool, growing on the needles. Painting is the same, sometimes working towards a show is crippling to my creativity. I have enjoyed not having as many deadlines this year (as much as I love a good deadline) I also really like to see where the painting or making will take me. Play in its very definition is “engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.” which is exactly what I try to do with my art practice, my kids, Mum and knitting… that’s the best way to approach life right?!

Speaking of play, lately I have been weaving surfaces to prime and then paint on. It is my way of inserting my craft practice into my art practice. For so long I have felt I have needed to keep them separate. Art is my “work” and craft is my “downtime”. I feel intensely protective of each. For a long time I also was told that my craft was not art. Decorative arts always being put in a lesser category than high art. I feel like that has shifted now and combined with me getting older (wiser?!) I feel ready to weave together the two practices- excuse the pun!

I’ve been listening to lots of the same music on repeat and reading sweet YA Fiction (trying to keep ahead of my kids reading level so I can be prepared). It’s been a lovely journey of reacquainting present day “me”with my early 20’s self. What a gulf I feel feels between then and now! Do you reminisce like this sometimes? It has been acutely so for me lately.

Have a good weekend. Back to knitting here.

E xxx