Accidental Collections: Knitting Needles

 

After last night's election, I feel the need to focus on light, pragmatic things.  Vacuuming.  Cleaning the bathroom.  Making a pot of soup.  So today, a new feature post for Domestic Scientist:  Accidental Collections.

Shuttles and yarn holders.

I have collections of many things, mostly domestic objects.  While I might easily be accused of being a pack rat, I defend myself on that charge in that I have inherited most of these things from my Grandma Blanche. As I've mentioned before, she kept everything.  She worked as a domestic servant in two  households for elderly people, seeing these people through the end of their lives.  When the estates were being dispersed, the children of my grandmother's employers saw little value in the wares of the kitchen or the sewing room, so my grandmother was permitted to take whatever she liked.  I believe that this is the primary source of her stash of especially sewing notions and haberdashery.

Multiple, mostly unopened packages of double-pointed knitting pins.  I love the graphic paper packaging.

There is such worth in these practical, useful objects.  Many of these items are so well made that they have truly stood the test of time.  They now represent to me a new era where we are slowly beginning to understand again the value of ordinary things as we revisit once again working with our hands. Think of these tools and how they relate to the work we do, and the work that was done with them.

Blanche's knitting needles.

Today I share some images of knitting needles and related tools.  I adore the colours and shapes of these cellulose knitting needles so much, that I have added to my collection. Who will love these objects if not me?

Needle gauges.

When I was little I used love to take all these objects out of their boxes and  look at them - beautiful colours, shapes and textures.  I think I can trace my love of textiles, colour and vintage objects back to these treasures.

I found this collection of knitting needles at a thrift shop.  If I hadn't rescued them, they might have languished there forever, gathering dust.  Better that they come home with me, where they are appreciated!