voyeurism at it's best

okay, i admit, that sounds a lil' bit dirty. but what i actually refer to is the joy i take from this whole blog and knit combo thing. i have a love affair with some blogs, as i am sure all that actually access this world do. the select few are the ones i eagerly go to and scroll through, always ready for more. but i have to admit it is not necessarily for the knitting. i love knitting and others' projects do to some extent inspire me, but what really excited me are the glimpses. glimpses of people's tables, their favorite armchair, their wood floors, their choice of textiles, of color, of furniture arrangement. so, you see, it is voyeurism. i am that one that during nightly walks with dog and husband cranes my neck toward any open window, any glimpse of the way people live.

it all started a long time ago while as a small child and i developed that need-to-know condition. the one where quiet conversations attracted me and exclusion from a group nearly killed me. i honed it as i grew, preferring to observe others and the details of their lives and surroundings. lest you think this odd, i was not really inside any group, so it was really my only choice. and then i fell in love with homes and the aesthetic of arts and crafts, green and green, old pasadena homes that once lay in disrepair but now cost over a mil for 1000 sq ft. for a time my husband and i lived in an old adobe, built early 19-something with rounded arches, little rooms, quaint, if cramped spaces. really weird shower though, i still shudder to think of it. then there was the victorian house converted to apartments in northwest portland. it was once a whore house for the docks, the crowning jewel was a tiny window that let one gaze out through wavy old glass that made the freeway appear indistinct, hazy, floating.

i love seeing bits of people's lives; i wish i shared more of mine. the blogs i return to again and again combine photography, a smattering of information, and fiber of course. they embody that odd essence of sharing and communication as we establish it in our world. we as readers and onlookers can establish links and lines of sight into people’s lives that we may never meet, speak to, or even comment on. as i read through different happenings in other’s lives it makes the community we live in seem more intimate and real.

the women who have become mothers is of particular interest to me as it is a path I have embarked upon. it is great to view the pieces they knit for their little ones, to see the first pictures, to read the birth stories when they are shared. as it is I seldom post, I expect it will not improve with the future additions to our family. mmmhmmm, additions is the operative word. the news of twins came as a complete surprise to the two of us and we are thrilled, exhilarated, excited and slightly terrified. so many scenarios can play out in my mind if I let them, so I just do not. the only thing is I did knit in anticipation of baby so there are little pieces stashed about my room, hidden from view so as not to jinx the future. now, though, I feel my head start has dissapated, and I have to plan to make another of each cute thing. ah well, more knitting. i guess I will fit it in somehow. i did fnally complete the body of knitting on the 'bunp' sweater and now only need to seam it before the bump becomes babies.




this is a little reflection on the lives and homes that blogging allows us to see. i don’t think these pieces get much play, so to speak, but just a little thank you to my favorites and some of the others I swing by and visit. it is always nice to check in and see what holidays, birthdays, vacations and celebrations look like in other people’s lives. i hope i can share a bit more in the exchange of this information as time goes along. happy new year.