I visited London yesterday for a work-related event. I had to get up at 4am to make it to my 10am meeting and I wasn't home until 11pm. It was a very long day - not made any easier by my sudden head-cold. I was sitting on my flight last night and seeing it was a clear night, I could follow our path moving northwards through England. After the pilot informed us we had just passed Manchester, the lights below started become more and more scarce. I leaned against the window. Some time later I saw a massive flood of light in the distance and seeing that the flight path would not have taken us towards Newcastle, there was only one city that could be that big, that lit-up: Glasgow. Home. My body and mind relaxed in that moment with that undefinable, warming sense of belonging there. I have spent so many years feeling like I did not belong somewhere that I still bask in the glory of being home.
Knitterly content: I have three Finished Objects to show off, but no photos so that'll have to wait. I only have one WIP which is completely disgusting. I do have one project in mind which I'll start later today..
I have also read several books recently. I'm in a very Victorian mode at the moment.
A few links and quotes:
The New Statesman published an excellent column recently: "You should have your tongue ripped out": the reality of sexist abuse online.
While I won't deny that almost all bloggers attract some extremely inflammatory comments -- and LGBT or non-white ones have their own special fan clubs, too -- there is something distinct, identifiable and near-universal about the misogynist hate directed at women online.
I contacted the columnist afterwards and told her briefly about my own experiences with "interesting" comments on my old literary blog. A male blog reader started stalking me in real life claiming I was "putting it out there" and I had to get the police involved (which was problematic in its own gender-political way).
Nowadays my blog is .. well, I guess this is a craft blog, of sorts, which is situated within a mostly-female space or community. There are still gender issues at play within this 'community' - first of which is "can we even lay claim to this being a community", of course - but it is definitely a different set of issues.
Sarai Mitnick of Colette Patterns went to Quilt Market and was slightly ambivalent. However, I was struck by one thing she wrote:
My impression is that crafty women today (and I include myself) are interested in all kinds of handmade stuff, including clothes, items for their homes (like quilts), food, gardens, you name it. It’s all about bringing the magic of the homemade into every aspect of our lives, of living a life of creativity and meaning, of renewing and reinvigorating a range of traditions.
Finally, have you seen Margaret Atwood has knitted a Great Auk? She is on Ravelry too, of course..