Friday 9 December 2022

The devil makes work for idle hands

 

The devil makes work for idle hands

Note: The photographs were taken at odd angles. It adds a certain 'je ne sais quoi', I think.

It is said that the devil makes work for idle hands. In an effort not to be bedevilled, I undertook several jigsaws and cross-stitch projects during our endless lockdowns. I also bought more sheet music and hammered my way inexpertly through Satie and Debussy as well as revising old favourites like Bach and Handel, Mozart and Beethoven. It was to everybody’s benefit that I donned headphones so that the screeching mistakes I made were heard only by me.

How many lockdowns did we have? Time has numbed my memory and the days, weeks, months, thread seamlessly together, like a large, untidy quilt. To revisit what has happened, or, on most days, failed to occur, I have to refer to my journal. Now, this is supposed to be a discipline and I am meant to write in it daily, but very occasionally several days pass before I set pen to paper, and then I write masterful – mistressful? - comments, such as, ‘Can’t remember what happened this week. It’s now Thursday.’ In further deathless prose, I record, ‘Not very warm today. Barry lit a fire.’ On yet other occasions, I rail against politicians, setting out chapter and verse, conscious that as a diarist it is my ‘duty’ to document current affairs. Who am I kidding? I am no Samuel Pepys and no-one is ever going to read my trite offerings.

On odd occasions – very odd – I have read my old diaries and experienced once again the emotions and reactions I felt at the time of writing. Memories are stirred by words as potently as by photographs.

So, my unbedevilled hands were occupied and my brain was prevented from entirely atrophying by all these pastimes. While doing jigsaws or cross-stitch, I also listened to audio books, some fiction, others non-fiction, so my ears were kept busy, too. Does the devil make work for idle ears, I wonder?

The cross-stitch I undertake is counted cross-stitch, the oldest form of embroidery. It has been in existence since mediaeval times, that is, from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries. I clarify that in the vain hope that the information will remain in my head. I remember once asking a history teacher whether the Middle Ages changed over time, that is, moved with the times. It seemed eminently logical to my 12-year-old brain.

Counted cross-stitch requires concentration and the ability to count squares or threads in the material to be embroidered. It’s very simple and also extraordinarily easy to make mistakes. Experienced embroiderers excuse inaccuracies by claiming them as ‘personalisations’, but that doesn’t work in symmetrical designs.

 


6 comments:

  1. My own hand might appear to be idle, but they are always holding something, usually a book, so that counts I guess, since the devil has never found me.

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  2. Hi Janice - those are all lovely ... and I should/must perhaps start doing jigsaws ... I think I'll leave the cross-stitch, and I most certainly can't play any music - so that solves that problem. Well done that you've written the sorry period for referral or just ... because! Cheers - now to the cold snap ... Hilary

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  3. You should be thankful for the two lockdowns we had, at least you did some beautiful creations ! I don't remember what I did during these 2 years, apparently I erased them from my memory. I only know that I sold the house, brought fresh laundry to Rick in hospital, but wasn't allowed to see him because of this dammit Covid, I also drove around to find an adequate apartment, driving was allowed, and the apartment owner I made to my cousin who was sick and I had to bring him some books and food and just besides that I signed the contract. I still wonder how I managed all this alone !

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  4. I was, in a weird way, quite grateful for lockdowns. It gave me the chance to explore our local heath, which turned out to be much more interesting than I gave it credit for. In fact, I learned to love it, and also did some paintings of it. And it was so nice and quiet, something I miss when I go up there now and brave the traffic and hear the noise. .

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  5. Hi Janice, you did some really great projects while in lockdown. Beautiful works!

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  6. Your lockdown proved to release your creativity. I tried crossstitch and embroidery, but I need to move more of my body than my hands. Made me laugh that you wore headphones. I keep journals for my great grandsons along with photos of their activities. Keeps me busy.

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