Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Lemons


I’m proud to be a Bombshell.  Not just because we’re a fabulous group of ladies with some serious crafting skills, but because we’re resilient.  We gals are always able to find the bright side.  It might take a minute and a few drinks to get there, but we can see the humor in any situation.  It’s a true talent.  You know the obnoxious saying “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade”?  Well, we say screw the lemonade, pass the tequila and salt!  So, let’s talk about disappointment.  We’ve all had those moments when that soufflĂ© we call our expectations falls flat and we can’t fathom what to do next.  These can be unforeseen life events, or in our case, it was a yarn bombing. 

Anyone that practices our fun craft medium knows that planning is everything.  We plan with military precision.  We take exact measurements of our targets (we are after all, making sweaters for parking meters, trees, statues…), compose an amazing design, and spend hours, days, weeks, sometimes months knitting and crocheting extravagant pieces of art.  When D-Day arrives, we break into teams and strategically attack our project.  Then it all goes sideways and we get chased off someone’s property.

Considering all the time and energy we pour into our projects, it’s understandable to have that toddler tantrum moment where your brain screams “I’m gonna do what I came here to do!  Handcuffs and arrest record be damned.”  But then the sane part of your brain interrupts and you realize you’re holding a flashlight and garbage bag of handcrafted goods on a stranger’s lawn that’s no longer the agreed upon location of your commissioned yarn bombing.  And, it’s getting dark.  Rather than face an awkward situation with the local police or, worse yet, a bad case of buckshot from the homeowner (thank you Castle Doctrine of Kentucky), we decide to retreat to a bar and examine where we went so wrong.

After a few moments of silence and a few fingers of bourbon, we realize this doesn’t have to be a disaster but an opportunity for something completely different and even better.  This is how I found myself with the rest of the Bombshells in Mt Airy forest one gorgeous Sunday afternoon in late September.  We were creating a composition of our unused pieces on a group of trees.  Our work looked stunning against the backdrop of leaves and branches.  It was a temporary installation done to demonstrate our art for someone who may be interested in it for bigger and better things (stay tuned…).

While we’re a little too feisty to ever be mistaken for Pollyanna or a perpetual optimist, we sure have a “can do” attitude.  Truth be told, sometimes when life hands me lemons I’d rather punch her in the throat than make anything.  Glad I’m surrounded by my blonde friends who will smile and say “we can work with this” while they hand me a cocktail. 

Hugs and Stitches,
Kitty Knitter