Attachment

As a lapsed Zen Buddhist I actually think about this a lot. Attachment to things and desire for more (and more) of those things. I believe I've made some progress over the last few years in letting go....until I hit a whole new playground such as India.

The Motherlode of Fashion Griping

My fabric stash has been reduced by more than half at home for years and I don't sew that much except on felt these days. I should have said all that in the past tense. I'm really falling in love with the whole Salwar Kameez thing now. Aside from being cool and comfortable (yes, I've bought more) it's a wonderful way to show off gorgeous swathes of fabric without having to put a ton of seams or darts in in them that break up the patterns. I've discovered that although XXL is possible to find in India - it's scarce - BUT - they leave you two-inch seams inside in case you need to let the side seams out yet a little more. Only took me two weeks to check out my side seams - sheesh! And that's because a storekeeper pointed it out. Did I really used to sew for a living? Just when we're ready to leave I'm ready to start wearing them all the time. Enter Joni Mitchell singing "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone..." This site shows endlesss varieties of them as well as other types of traditional wear, and this site breaks down the basic silhouettes for us Westerners. Most of the ones I see women wearing in Pondy are the longer versions that come down past their knees. The Indian Haute Couture world is using more glorious fabrics draped beautifully all the time. By the way, I beat feet, not feat down to the fabric stores in my last post. Sheesh!!!

Ever since my early 20's hippie days when I was skinny enough to let way more visibly hang out that should have been out, I've been a modestly dressed person. I prefer midi lengths in everything, higher necks, longer sleeves, etc. Now being a MUCH less skinny person, it is a style that has come in handy. Also, since I like to make pretty things for women to wear (jewelry, scarves, shawls, pins) but don't like to wear almost any of them myself (skin too sensitive) what greater alternative for looking nice and feminine than pretty and weightless fabrics (and less I be stoned upon reentry to the U.S. - KNITTED fabrics). Most of the visiting Caucasian women I see in town seem to adopt some type of Dupatta shawl immediately even if they change no other thing about their attire. And it looks wonderful! It's so easy too when they come skinny or wide, sheer or translucent, heavy or light, embroidered or fringed, tie-dyed or shiboried, ikat or plain weave... There is NO scarcity of beautiful women here believe me - but since most are dressed in the same style of garment and wear their hair the same way, the visual input (to me at least) when I firsts see them is soft, flowing, beautiful colors and fabric patterns. In fact, you would have to be strikingly ugly to outshine your own outfit and no one is! Women love gold in India and wear as much as they can afford. It's an investment for them through all uncertain times and a statement of their status. Plus, it goes so beautifully with their skin color. Even female beggars are never (truly!) without a minimum of one gold nose stud and usually they have one on each side. So, do you think I can convert Washington State to Salwar Kameez? Probably not. It changes my whole feeling about long straight scarves - which I was never crazy about in knitting. In a woven fabric it's a whole different feel, and when they are wide and long it's totally amazing the different ways you can drape or tie them around yourself.

Another area where I think both larger and older women are terribly left out is designer evening wear. Or ANY evening wear. Women who have big bucks and who are older but not larger are constantly seen in the fashion and society magazines in the same bust-baring little black dresses of the younger women with bucks. Joanne Woodward is a pleasant exception. There are women thankfully who know it's all about drape, cut and lovely fabrics as you get older. But, as someone who doesn't do parties and evening functions if I can possibly worm my way out of them, I think I'd just like to look better during the day!

Two other things I have to mention being attached to - and I didn't realize how much until we came to India - are ZiplocTM bags and Post-itTM notes - which very few people use here. How do you leave a note for someone if you have no cellotape under your arm, and how do you squish all the air out of things you are packing if you don't have a Ziploc? I know - buy one of those "As seen on TV" things with the vaccuum hose... No way. Luckily, I brought plenty of them with me.

What did I bring to work on?

First, knowing we would end up in London in winter, I had to pack GortexTM and wonderful wool things so we'd be able to make the transition from sweating through everything to steaming happily in everything. This is where fabulous friends come in...

From the hat in the center clockwise - beret made by me years ago from a Bonkers Originals pattern - easy and fun to knit - started at the stem! Fits a good head range although it's a bit short on my man's XL head. I'd do it roomier next time. Tracey of Bonkers sells her patterns only as kits - very economically priced, hand-dyed fiber, and now a new strange-looking art magazine called Tub Legs. Next, a pair of striped socks I finished before I left. Since going through the hotel laundry they are not actually those colors any more... At bottom, a pair of toastie socks by Rebecca that are worn in bed EVERY NIGHT to keep me from turning to a lump of ice in the total frozen air conditioning environment that DH insists on (when it works). And on the left, a wonderful pair that has some glitter in the yarn and a lacey clock knitted for my by the incomparable sock knitter Mary "B." There's an unbelievable pair Sister Nina knit me too but I was darned if I was going to bring those and chance losing them to the laundry or the world at large.

I brought 4 balls of Louet Linen which I've had steeping in the stash forever. I was going to make Evelyn Clark's wonderful circular washcloths - I've had such fun with round ones before -but since we only seem to get washcloths from the housekeeping people once a week I decided for speed to make scrubbie things rather than the prettier ones. They too are not the same color as they were in the picture. Wonder what they're using in that laundry in the basement!


Since I'd been also making hair scrunchies by request for some of the female waitstaff at the hotel, I didn't have enough left for a square so I folded it in half and sewing it into a bath loofah-type mitt. Scrubby enough to take your whooole backside off but I know it'll soften with washing.








I had enough for a single layer square washcloth for this one - it's sort of a grayish green now - and not in a good way.... Works great on the face except it's scrubby enough to take your whooole....you get the idea. From my "Stash acquisition is More Important than Life" days I have a TON of linen left so I'll be doing a lot of these - in the round next time!






Crocheted and knit several scrunchies with and without beads on the linen and the gift of acrylic yarn I was given when I got here...



Hmmmm, connectivity is definitely on the outs. Less diatribe and more fiber tomorrow!