Hat-Tricks and Hospital Waiting Rooms
I’ve been a little "fuzzy" lately, making writing (and concentrating) more difficult than usual. Despite this, there’s always ways to be creative if you can give in to becoming a "Mad-Hatter." When not up for much else, crochet did the "trick" for me. Sitting in hospital waiting rooms, over recent weeks, I’ve managed to produce three hats (as displayed above).
The first two are made from Cashsoft and the the third from Noro yarn. Hat one, I’ve called the "Playful;" hat two, the "Sophisticate;" and hat three, the "Fun" (from left to right, above). The first was just to use up yarn and keep my mind occupied. The second involved more planning and design. The third provoked excitement and a dash of spunk.
The nice thing about making hats is that patterns aren’t necessary. They’re easy to try on as you go, and undoing them, to readjust for sizing or look, doesn’t involve too much lost labor. Hat one involved "uncertainty;" hat two, "awareness;" and hat three, "boldness." A crochet hook and yarn can sometimes help boost confidence (and self-esteem), even when real life has its challenges.
Previous blog entries about crochet include:
• Wearable Art: Crochet and Canvases Match at Toronto Art Expo
(March 23, 2008)
• Crochet for Stress Reduction, Fashion, and Fun
(December 25, 2006)
Reflections on "hospital waiting rooms" are shared in this poem:
Hospital Waiting Rooms
Hospital waiting rooms
Interesting places
Expressions on faces
Old, young, rich, poor
Illness can descend at anyone’s door
Homeless or not
Bedecked in jewels or poorly clad
Side by side they sit
And wait, and wait, and wait
Time to hesitate
And reflect
Thankful for what’s not
Regretful about what is
A loss of control
Soul next to soul
Good health not a given
Recovery a game of chance
Some rally
Others dally
Support helps
Not being there alone
Some speak
Others too weak
There are those who make it
And those who fake it
A humbling experience
And wake-up
Something that effects all
Short or tall
Take a number
And wait till you’re called.
