Plastic Canvas... a New Appreciation.

I had seen others make it. Looked closely at it at craft fairs, but until recently, I'd never tried it myself. I'm not sure why that is, except maybe because it seemed to require patterns and I'm more of a cook, than a baker, if you get my drift. I like to experiment and throw things together and see what happens with the color and the texture and such, rather than follow hard and fast rules.

I'm a rebel.

The other night, I was watching Lance work his plastic canvas. It's something he has done for a while, "because..." he says..."It's a great stress-reliever and if Rosey Grier can do needle point, I can do plastic canvas". He learned from his ex, Jan, who gifted me with an extraordinary little Christmas cottage that she had made, last year. I really loved that gift and certainly could see the time spent creating it. I still did not think I would be trying it, though, because, as you all know, I have a lot of creative cra...er...stuff on my plate and the last thing I need is a new hobby...especially one that does not get the attention...or the monetary rewards it deserves. In fact it breaks my heart, just a little, when I see this work sold at craft fairs for far less than it should, considering the time put in.

While I watched Lance work, I kept wondering what it would look like with variegated yarn. The wheels started to turn and I picked up one of his scraps and asked him to show me the little box stitch he was using. Oops.

I kept saying to myself "I don't have time for this...I really don't", but it was too late. As I started pulling and pushing the yarn, in and out, seeing all those pretty colors magically forming those little squares and, especially after I was holding my first bookmark in my hands...I was hooked...sigh...

I won't follow patterns, though. I'm still a rebel. I'll learn stitches. I'll learn how to use my tools, but I'm most excited by trial and error and I love to experiment with my own ideas. To that end, on my latest bookmark, I got out my old "Knit-wit" tool. Remember those? Yarn flowers that just pop off the tool? They still make them...but mine has got to be, at least thirty years old!! After fiddling with it for a bit, I managed to remember how to make those flowers and soon I was popping them off, as I did when I was a child. I added one to the top of my second bookmark and, abracadabra! Innovation.

I've tried crochet. All of my afghans turned into mufflers...if I even got that far, but with PC I can do tiny projects that are finished in an evening...and it IS SO relaxing. Actually, it's a form of meditaion for me, now. It's something I can do without making a big mess. Something I can do in front of the TV at night, when I am too tired to do anything else.

I'm still a rebel. Honest.

Bettina

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