“Do you ever knit anything else besides bears?”
It is a question I am asked periodically by family and friends.
“Yes, I do, baby blankets, doll clothes, socks, scarves. But mainly Bears.”
I have knitted everything from potholders to lacy tablecloths. I’ve knitted afghans – crocheted some - until everybody around me disappeared under a layer of wavy earth colors or stark modern shapes or homey granny squares. I’ve knitted Christmas presents, crocheted Easter bunnies, dressed children and grandchildren. I’ve made purses, teapot cozies, hats, gloves, slippers, and – many, many years ago – toilet paper covers. Now I knit Bears. Mainly Bears.
“Don’t you ever get tired of knitting bears?”
“NO.”
I don’t get tired of knitting Bears because I look at every Bear as the most important project for the moment. As you can see, I write Bear with a capital B. I make up stories, attach good wishes, infuse each one with the very special gift of being the best companion a child could have. I educate my Bears. I read to them.
Take “Chagall’s Girls,” for instance. While I was working on them I bought four new books about Chagall. I gave the Bears names from Chagall’s life. Chloe, Bella, Ida, Virginia, Valentina. These Bears are playful. Chloe visits my postcard collection of Chagall’s windows. Bella dreams in vivid colors. In her early phase she hung from my kitchen light fixture so I could see her better. Ida dances on a purple brick. Virginia meets a nutcracker turned painter. And Valentina poses in front of a sunflower. We have fun together, the Bears and I. How could I get tired of knitting Bears when so many more children are in need of their companionship?
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