A Sense of Place

“Favorite Scarf Ever” pattern by Lisa Bruce

I finished knitting a scarf from my handspun optim yarn. I started knitting the scarf last winter, but it went into hibernation when warm weather arrived. It's now completed, washed and blocked and waiting for use, just in time for the coming winter. I love working at handcrafts at home.

My daughter has been ruminating over her current essay assignment and this has caused me to reflect on the implications of Place as a part of Identity. I realise that one of my motivations for writing Yakkajam and posting photos is to offer a sense of what it is like to live in this spot, in remote, rural Far North Queensland, that is, to provide glimpses of our Place - the flora, fauna, the seasons and our human activities.

My ancestors and J's ancestors migrated from Europe to the New World - the east coast of the United States - and then took generations to gradually move west across the United States. We have continued that restless western movement – across the Pacific to the east coast of Australia. What happened to our sense of Place? Perhaps, as eventual roamers, we carry our sense of Place in our hearts. The place where each of us was born, the places where we grew up, fell in love, worked and had our children – those places and the people in our lives helped shape us as have the stories we've learned about our ancestors. Yet I feel very protective of and connected to the Place now around me.

The times have influence as well. The Golden Gate Bridge across the San Francisco Bay remains a magical Place in my heart. In 1937 my Grandmother and Aunt walked across the Golden Gate Bridge when it opened for the first time. In 1987, on the 50^th anniversary of the opening, my husband and I walked our bicycles across Golden Gate Bridge only to get stuck in the middle of the bridge in a shoulder-to-shoulder pedestrian jam that lasted an hour or so and caused the bridge to sag. If you look at the first two photos to which I've linked, you'll get an impression of the vast difference between those two times, at the same Place.

Rachael Carson's book Silent Spring was published in 1962 and environmental awareness began to grow. For increasing numbers of individuals, the boundaries of one's sense of Place began to expand to include global concerns - oceans, rivers, underground aquifers, forests and plains, mountains, volcanos, the atmosphere. I worry when dead fish are discovered in the river nearby after heavy rainfall caused mining spillage into the nearby creek which flows into our river. I worry about polar bears.

Is the Global Village becoming our Place?

post by M in JaM

photo by J in JaM

Walking, Knitting, Birding

We've been enjoying our daily walks in beautiful weather over the Easter weekend. None of the usual damp and drizzle that we've come to expect on this holiday. The gorgeous full moon felt close enough to touch.

Morning temperatures have fallen. We put the doona back on the bed and unpacked a few items of winter clothing from the trunks though we don't need to wear much in the way of warm clothing yet. I am loving the ankle warmers that I knit from natural brown, handspun Corriedale wool last winter. The ankle warmers keep me feeling comfortable in the morning and evening without needing socks.

Ankle warmers for DH

I encouraged DH to wear my ankle warmers one evening. He looked dubious, but gave it a go and soon wanted a pair of his own. I made his pair from hand-spun Corriedale that I had dyed purple. Being warm feels great and so does using yarn that I've created and stashed in previous years. Come to think of it, DH did some of the handspinning of that Corriedale yarn on an electronic spinner that we rented from the local guild.

Squatter Pigeon in Far North Queensland

A pair of Squatter Pigeons appeared in the mowed area around the house and hung around for a few days. We didn't see a mating display, but you can see that in this remarkable photo by photographer Rod Warnock.

Post by M in JaM

Photos by J in JaM

Wesekh (Broad Collar)

by M in JaM

Our summer days can get hot and humid. But in tropical highlands, cool mornings make me want to throw a little something over my shoulders. I wanted to knit something lightweight, a single layer, something that would stay on and that wouldn't hang down into my oatmeal. I wanted to use my latest handspun yarn: a soft merino/soy blend, hand-dyed by Ewe Give Me The Knits.

Because I have limited experience as a knitter, I also wanted a pattern. An online capelet pattern (free) posted some years ago by Fuzzy Galore gave me the courage to procede. I made a swatch with my merino/soy handspun and adjusted the simple pattern for my gauge and needles. I cast onto circular needles (for the first time ever!) and began knitting. I followed the pattern directions except I made my "capelet" shorter. It extends to the edges of my shoulders. It measures 6" instead of 12" from top to bottom. Wondering what to call it, since it wasn't really a capelet, I searched online and found the "wesekh", or broad collar, of ancient Egypt (usually made with beads). I had knitted a wesekh. I like it.

photo by J in JaM