Since I am soon supposed to be helping a group of beginners learn the granny square, I thought I'd better review how it's done, long time since I did any.
A couple of false starts, then I began to remember how to go. The YouTube channel I used, after trying a couple that weren't very helpful, is Bella Coco. She's a very good teacher, doesn't cover the work with her hands and has a great production style.
And Misfits arrived
And here's a few cranberries, mushrooms and peas for Thanksgiving. That organic ketchup is much better than any I've had, no metallic aftertaste like some. Beans and tomatoes because they're a staple around here, likewise yogurt.
There was a surprise textiles presentation by GWU, which I'd forgotten I'd signed up for, good thing they send reminders.
About fractals, the iteration of shapes, and textile designs, the presenters showed examples of historic and traditional African textiles and paired them with the corresponding mathematical findings and proofs.
It occurred to me that granny squares, starting with a circle then expanding spirally, repeating the motifs, can be understood as fractals.
One riveting point the presenters made was that the embroidery and weaving designs are recorded in song. As women stitch, they sing, to preserve the design and the knowledge of it. The same is true of painting designs on pottery, like the large container you see back a few slides. They sing the design as they work it.
That was a surprise, and yet another great GWU presentation. I get such an education from these programs, which largely came about because of the pandemic and resulting lockdown, and are, thankfully, being continued.
It would help to look at the items I carefully put on my calendar. Today also was Ruth and Laura cleaning and filter replacement day, vital!
Happy day everyone! In our upcoming dark time, we could try to remember art will always be with us. Whether making or enjoying or both, it will be there, one way or another.
I’d love to do some counted cross stitch but my eyes are not good enough any more. I do like doing stitcheries. They’re not as Tiny and so do not end up giving me a headache.
ReplyDeleteSinging while crafting sounds like a lovely way to spend an afternoon, fining wisdom from the older generation passing it down to the young. When I first started crafting I was called old, I was in my mid thirties. I do think the tide is turning now, maybe because of covid, and the old ways are coming back
I think singing your pattern is very advanced! And a great way to pass on knowledge. I agree that crafting is seen as something for all ages, but I hadn't realized it wasn't always seen that way.
DeleteI must go and learn more about fractals. Singing the design is an interesting record - aborigines in Australia record their history in sing song. Neither they nor NZ Maori had any written language so it was learned by song and recitation. Is it the same for these cultures and their weaving?
ReplyDeleteMy reply vanished. Again: yes, that's exactly so. Fractals are a great study. Try Mandelbrot.
DeleteYet again, beautiful works.
ReplyDeleteThe concepts are really sophisticated, too.
DeleteWonderful insight about the relationship between singing and work!
ReplyDeleteThat one really stopped me dead! In a society without a written language, it makes great sense, but I had thought patterns were learned by imitation.
DeleteInteresting to read about how they sing their designs, something that stands to reason if you think about it because most likely many of them weren't able to read so a written pattern would have been lost on them.
ReplyDeleteGranny squares seem to be making a comeback. My first project was to make a gigantic one to create an afghan - using nylon yarn of the day. It's a wonder, after all that boring stitching, that I continued on with crochet at all.
Exactly, they had or maybe have, no written language, so if they wanted to preserve their patterns they found a way.
DeleteI'm not a big fan of granny squares as a beginner project, but it wasn't my idea!
My aunt taught me to crochet and she made lots of those blankets and sold them in her hairdressing shop. It was all she knew how to make so I succumbed. Don't think I've done much in the way of granny squares since!
DeleteAnd do we not teach our children the alphabet with the ABC song? Singing is an excellent way to learn and to teach.
ReplyDeleteI used to make afghans that had many different colors and patterns of granny squares, all stitched together. I loved that because each square involved different decisions so it never got boring.
Singing shapes is a different order of magnitude. But yes, it involves a different part of the brain. Some people who stammer in speech can sing fluently. I've known nonverbal children with autism able to sing songs.
DeleteWhen you get a minute, my comments are again vanishing from your blog, maybe in spam, who knows. Blogger seems to have installed an AI writing assist, and I think it's caused some upheaval in comments.
DeleteI found and restored a comment of yours from spam yesterday, I think. Sometimes they don't show up there for a day or two. I always check every morning.
Deleteso interesting, singing the designs.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it illuminating? A whole new sensory path.
DeleteBrilliant. Singing the design would certainly keep it in memory.
ReplyDeleteIt's very sophisticated.
DeleteThese things are over my head but yet I find this information fascinating. Ms Moon brought up a good point about teaching the ABCs with song. Also, I learned to spell Mississippi by sing-song. I just ran it through my head as I typed it.
ReplyDeleteI learned Mississippi by chanting! Brit style: M I double S I double S I doubleP I!
DeleteI learned to crochet using Bella Coco. Very good teacher, she is.
ReplyDeleteIf I sang as I worked it would sound like "knit three, drop four, bloody hell, rip it out and start again"
Does Australia use British crochet terms?
DeleteMemorizing a pattern by singing its structure is a new concept for me. I need to do some serious study of that.
ReplyDeleteI can see weaving uses for that skill.
DeleteThat sounds like a fascinating presentation. I'd love to hear the women singing the pattern. It reminds me how I do a little sing-song or silently chant when I crochet doilies. Each round is its on repeating pattern all the way around. I say the stitches as I make them, getting a little sing-songy as I go. I imagine the embroiderers' songs are much more detailed. And I take it that they memorize the the whole pattern, and can remake their patterns from memory. That is impressive.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your approach, yes. I'm guessing they learn the songs from childhood.
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