Welcome!

I am glad you chose to visit! My blog is a compilation of the many hats I find myself wearing. On any given day I may be an encourager, an instructor, or just a lady who is venting. You, dear reader, will probably identify with my triumphs and my tribulations! These snapshots fit into my Life Scrapbook I have named A. McInnis Artworks. I hope you will find something worth your while.


Saturday, June 16, 2012

Old Pale Blue...I Feel Like A Pot Holder

The problem I see with blogs, Pinterest and Etsy is this: IF you have even the tiniest amount of creativity in your genetic background, browsing these sites will force your little brain into Creative overload! When I look at all the things that women design, make and come up with, I forget that it's a collection of everyone in the galaxy, not just a few brilliant bulbs!

While being "laid up" with my formerly bum knee (now it's post-operative bum) I have almost pushed myself to exhaustion just reading all these sites. I haven't slept for more than 3 hours straight since Friday before last. My formerly neat and tidy bed and bedroom looks like an explosion of yarn, fabric and magazines. My husband remarked that our room looked worse than he could ever remember and it made him nervous to enter. (He got into bed, settled down and all of a sudden jumped to a sitting position, pulled something from under the sheets and screamed, "What is this?" Oh, for heaven sakes, it was just a crochet hook...size G.)

My today's project was a selection of pot holders made from yoyo's. (You DID go through the yoyo phase, didn't you?) I sure did and had some already cut into circles from a long ago left over project and they just fit the bill. Inspired by my love of this old pot holder (see "old pale blue" below), I set out on a pot holder Odyssey. First, I crocheted two holders but that just did not scratch the itch. I needed more interaction with something from the outside world. Fabric...oh, wonderful fabric! In addition to my love of note cards and tags, china, and an assorted array of other strange obsessions, I LOVE FABRIC! (I digress.)

I bought this tired, stained old thing at a long-ago shop and loved it for its feedsack and shirting yoyo's. I put it aside and didn't use it for years. Then one day all my pot holders were in the laundry and there she was, looking up at me..."Use me, use me", she begged. And so I did! Have used her ever since. Alas, she has become thread bare, pale and stained...sort of like I feel right now. I decided to make me a new holder, not to take her place, but to help out in emergency situations. (Wink, wink)

Introducing "her newness" ...all hot to trot...newest fabric and smashing colors!
 Even though I like her, I don't yet LOVE her.
So I decided to push further, which is hard to do when you are in the bed most of the time.
 I limped forward and made a few potholders for my Etsy shop (amcinnisartworks).

They look so fresh and new. Not tired and pale.


A new take on an old idea.
Modern, clean, fresh...
I, uh, sort of feel guilty.
I know how "old pale blue" feels...
retirement and knee surgery have rendered me to a pathetic place in this life.
I hate to admit it, but I feel rather useless and washed up.
As I sat there feeling terribly sorry for my lot in life...  it occurred to me...
I had used "old blue" as the pattern for all
the new potholders...every single one was cut from her.
The bulb flashed...
maybe that's
what's in store for me!
Maybe I can be a pattern or a help to someone younger,
newer at this game we call life.
Maybe I can help out "in emergencies"! 
I know one thing for sure, feeling like "old pale blue" isn't my style. (wink, wink)

Happy Father's Day! 

2 comments:

Sunny said...

I'm one of those odd people who did not go through the Yo Yo phase. Maybe I should go back and give it a try. ;)

4mckenzies said...

I love them! I have a potholder mom made that just feels & looks better than any store bought one! And you can certainly give me advice anytime! I can surely use it!