Knitter’s Synesthesia (Raquel)
September 19, 2008 by sharppointythings
Because as a knitter and a storyteller I thought this was interesting, it reminded of the synesthesia crossover, and mostly because synesthesia is fun to say:
As I always do when I am designing things, I started with a story idea. I know that sounds a bit odd, but I am a storyteller, and I tell stories with stitches as well as with words. Knitters have a rich tradition of telling stories through stitches–look at the wonderfully evocative names we give to cable and lace patterns: Hollow Oak, Wings of the Swan, Homes of Donegal, Dragon Skin. The language of textiles has become a metaphor for storytelling: a well-told tale is even called “a yarn.”
Quoted from Sandi Wiseheart at Knitting Daily
I can’t knit a single stitch, but I must say that this quote is remarkably spiffy.
Do you ever feel that you are telling a story in any of your knitting/crocheting projects?
Textiles are a rich medium, and I think much of the truth of this has to do with our ability to name things. I find that when someone sends me an unnamed colorway, it tends to stay in my stash til I find a name for it. If they send it with the name attached…. “Eclipse”, “Thermograph”, “Rosebud”….The name tends to affect how I spin the yarn and what I make with it… I love the interaction of it. Of course, sometimes I tell my own story from start to finish.
Just noticed something….”spin a yarn” is a metaphor for “tell a story”
Speaking of synesthesia, thought my site my be of interest to you. Just started it a week ago and am trying to get the word out.
http://www.vsolfactorium.blogspot.com
I never thought about synesthesia in the context of my knitting…but the fact is that I do have synesthesia (numbers have colors, textures have sounds for me and so on). What a wonderful insight you’ve had there. Thank you for something to chew on! (Yarns, both told and spun, are tasty, are they not?)
Sandi Wiseheart
I don’t think I have ever associated a story with a craft project, though after reading this quote it seems really odd that I haven’t. I mean, this from the person who thought parallel lines were kind of sad (because they always stay the same distance apart into infinity and never, ever meet).
Maybe it’s my literalism raising it’s head, because patterns with names like ‘Dragonskin’ always disappoint me a little bit because they don’t look like dragonskin to me.
I hadn’t thought about names for colorways changing the ’story’ but that’s really cool too. Reminds me a little of this post on Knitting Daily.
Sandi,
You’re quite welcome, and thanks for stopping by my blog. Mmmm, yarn.