Gratitude

As I said previously yesterday found me enjoying fifteen minutes of radio that left me smiling and remembering.

The small programme held many keys to doors I was unaware were ready for the opening or even standing slightly ajar just needing a small push.

I grew up at a time when the needle crafts were something that many households took for granted as part of making do and creating something out of very little. I did not grow up in a community that had phones in homes or cars parked outside on a driveway it was one of phone boxes always positioned on windy corners at least a miles wet walk from home and buses filled with handbags, hairnets, hacking coughs, Senior Service un-tipped fug, gossip and steaming raincoats which invariably came on time were crowded by need and processed from registered stop to registered stop with unauthorised but accepted stops for arms thrown out in hope and requests for just dropping off here please.

As to the needlecrafts they were literally about putting clothes on backs and curtains at windows and often the material left over from curtains did a Sound of Music switch and became summer dresses or shorts. On the knitting front the invention of the wash and wear yarn was a godsend for women who still washed with a copper and mangle to hand and meant that wool which invariably cost more, was liable to all sorts of inadvertent damage was only used for very special garments and the rest of the time man-made heaven was embraced with gusto. At first these man-made yarns were truly an adventure in static and carpet burns but soon science caught up with skin needs:0) and in the hands of a proficient knitter the yarn became items to treasure and be proud to wear.