Anyway, that's not what this post is about. Rather, I was reading Karen's post this morning about her weekend and the visit with her sister. It sounded like they had a wonderful visit, and I enjoyed reading about their crafty time together.
And I realized that as much as I love my sisters, and though we have a wonderful time together, if I suggested we did something crafty together, they would probably a) laugh, b) faint, or c) both. I know a lot of siblings who have interests that intersect practically in every way, but that's not the case in our family. Particularly in the sense of craftiness.
My mother spent the last 10-15 years of her life in a wheelchair. Though she knew how to do needlepoint, and could sew on a button or a hem, she was not much interested in any of that kind of thing while I was growing up. When she became chair-bound, her cousin taught her counted cross-stitch and she really really loved doing that. She was incredibly skilled at it, and all of us have some of her work in our homes.
She was always supportive when I wanted to learn to sew, and was proud of anything I could make, but I definitely did not inherit my love of making and crafts in any genetic way. Of course, I know my grandmothers and those before them learned to do things as necessity, but I didn't know them to know if they actually enjoyed doing any of it. So my interest is really just my own, as far as I can tell.
But my sisters? Um, that would be a big NO. My oldest sister Nancy is an amazing seamstress, having learned to sew in a high school home economics class where they covered even really advanced techniques. However, once she could afford to buy designer clothes instead of whipping up copies on her own, she lost all interest in sewing, period. I asked her a few years ago if she ever thought about sewing again, and she looked at me like I'd just eaten a baby or something.
My sister Mary Ellen is all about science. I don't know that it has ever even occurred to her to try any kind of hand crafts. She certainly likes things I make for her, and I can tell she thinks it's kind of magical but she just has no interest.
So when I am with my sisters, I can knit or do whatever I'm involved in, but we never do anything like that together. And I kind of wish we could. I am often amused by how little we have in common as far as our interests and personalities. Who knows, in our case, mabye that it why we get along so well.
Fortunately, I have many friends who fill the void to knit and craft with, and I guess since I'm around them more, it's actually better this way. I see my friends regularly, but my sisters seldom. Maybe my genetics knew that's how it would turn out.
What about you? If you have siblings, or even siblings-in-law, do they join you in your crafty pursuits?
Psssst. Guess who I get to hang out with tomorrow??? Dee! I'm so excited I could spit. :-)
8 comments:
Craftiness definitely runs in our family - but it could just be that we were all immersed in it from an early age. Obviously my Mom and I have similar pursuits, but even my brother is quite crafty. His passion is cooking, but he knows how to knit and sew, and when Paisley was young, it was usually him, not his wife Jenn, doing something crafty with her. Of course, once Jenn got really immersed in our family, she learned how to knit - and even though I've been knitting much longer, she has much better tension than I (so perfectly even!) She's also been dabbling in sewing/quilting.... hmmm. Maybe we're just contagious!
I have one sister, and she is very crafty. And I am very crafty. But our crafty-ness intersects NOT AT ALL! It's so funny. We actually have not one craft that we share (I knit, she cross-stitches; I sew, she bakes; I garden, she plays hand bells; and so on), but we certainly appreciate each others' craftiness! XO
For a brief time we were all into quilting along with Daddio but that's over now. Daughter could care less about crafts. I used to drag her to the MDSW every year and she enjoyed herself but the fiber madness never took hold.
OH YOU AND DEE!! WHEEEEE!
My daughter, knitS!! What more can i SAY!????
I was a bit envious of Karen's sisterly craft pursuits, mainly because it's not something my sister and I would ever do together and it sounds like a lot of fun. I love my sister because she's my sister, but really the only thing we have in common is that we happened to be raised by the same people.
I don't have a sister, and can't picture my brother doing a craft of any kind.
My only sibling is 10 years older than I am and once I was old enough to not need a baby sitter, we've never hung out. It saddens me but we've always been at different stages of life. She's also never been crafty, although a few years ago she took a stained glass class and made me a Christmas gift last year. There's hope!
I'm super lucky I have a sister who loves to craft. I am a major knitter who is dabbling in watercoloring. She is a major sewing enthusiast (avoiding the word sewer....) who can knit and loves to paint as well. My mom was a multi crafter as well as my one gram (not her mom..). Oh wait! I have a sister in law who loves to knit and another sister in law who loves to sew! I guess I'm surrounded with fun. I'll be your sister if you need a crafty friend.
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