Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Messy tuesdays wednesdays

I've been really inspired by the 'messy tuesdays' posts. If you've not spotted this yet, Felix's manifesto puts it so very well "You are not your flawless surfaces. You are not your orderly laundry-pile. You are not the seamlessness of your Finished Objects. You are not your risen cakes. You are not your sewn-in ends." Domestics in drag may be oodles of fun, but our lives aren't like that. Indeed, the messiness of the world is just as interesting as that oddly modernist aesthetic that seems to have embedded itself in the world of the craft blog; its not all clean lines, good light, an apparent complete lack of 'stuff'. Wouldn't it be lovely to celebrate the forms of domesticity we experience on an everyday level rather than voguing some fantasy we don't especially like that much anyway?

Except, my life is way too messy to get around to actually blogging on a given day. So here it is, a good 36 hours later I planned. Our round-and-round knitting jar (circs and dpns). Though, there appear to be a few standard straight needles that have inadvertently made there way in there.

needles

It once held jam, though credit where credit is due, the domestic goddess of the household did sterilise it, and probably used it for several types of jam, chutney and marmalade in the meantime. The circs are more than a bit tangled, the dpns aren't neatly sorted and knotted together with string (as they once were). Its way too full. Also, the cables on the circs stick out more than there is space for on the shelf where they usually sit. Consequentially the whole caboodle tips over on regular occasions and, domino-like, scatter all over the kitchen floor. In fact, when I went to replace it after taking the photo, I managed to knock its neighbouring mug of crochet hooks everywhere.

I have to admit, I moved it to take the photo to somewhere with more light. I suppose this is cheating; playing to voguing a world where you can turn your home into a studio. In my defence (a) the only spare time I had was at 7:40am (b) our flat's bloody gloomy at the best of times (c) there wasn't much point posting an image of the kind of grey/ brown blur you can't see anything in. Bah, I'm sure the ability to cheat is part of the celebration of messy tuesdays!

I know I probably should finally get around to sewing that circular needle case from the SnB book. But I have a thesis chapter to write, it took me nearly two hours to get home from the library, and I'd much rather spend the free time I have this evening casting on Muir. Plus, if we're talking chores, there's the hob to scrub, knickers to wash, a button to sew back on, floors to sweep, mould to wipe off the back wall, and darnit I still haven't phoned the student loans company.

I'd suggest 'Yeah, I'm a slacken, and?' pin badges, but I fear people might take the other meaning (and on that, it is a bit shocking that one word can refer to both untidy and sex-worker).

12 comments:

ofpinsandneedles said...

I loved this post.

And yes, I've thought about that often too. I was taken aback to find "sluts' wool" under the bed in *Alias Grace*. There is plenty of that under my bed!

Knitika said...

Whoa, I saw this post and totally thought it was a picture of my circular needle jar. And I wasn't sure how my jar got into some one else's blog... Twas a little spooky until I got my bearings! Hey, nice jar you've got there...

Emily said...

I've not managed to post my mess on a Tuesday, either. Last - Thursday? Wednesday? and still thinking re this week. P'raps I'll leave it till next.

My brain is too messy for consistency.

wazz said...

Slattern is a great word in need of reappropriating, I reckon. I like that it can be used as a verb, too (to slattern away time, &c).

Felicity Ford said...

Slattern/slut/slacker... we must abolish these words!

Does anyone know if similar terms for the male of the species exist, relating his inability to maintain domestic order with some kind of inference of promiscuity/sexualised insult?

I somehow doubt it.

I love your messy needle-jar and I imagine most knitters have one!
thanks for joining the messy fun!

And the Tuesdays thing is totally arbitrary; I love the disregard for actually posting on Tuesdays that's going on. It's all part of bringing on the messy joy.

'You are not your timely posted blog...'

etc.

suealex said...

What's a hob? Whatever it is, I'm sure mine needs cleaning as well.

mel said...

Thanks so much for sharing your mess & pointing me to Felix's manifesto, it was timely & much needed!

I too, have the messy needle jar - though I flatter myself that because it's actually a vase from somewhere, it serves a decorative purpose ;)

cseneque said...

Wonderful! Love the manifesto, and I'm going to join in the fun too.

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