|
Well, Editor Amy Clarke Moore, whose brave idea it was in the first place, assures me that Jane mentioned knitting occassionally, and textiles frequently in her letters to her sister, if not in her novels. And knitting was done a great deal in Regency times, though not necessarily by ladies to the manor born. But maybe more important, there are qualities to Jane Austen's world view that line right up with knitting and knitters today. Tart, tender, insightful. Structured, suspenseful. Thoughtful, mannered. Those of us who knit today commit ourselves to a craft that demands attention and invites reflection. It's a world of rules and repetition in which our imaginations and creativity can play. If you're stressed by a sick kid, a demanding deadline, a "life out of control" moment, you very well might pick up your knitting and work through it. Or pull that old Modern Library edition of Emma down off the shelf and lose yourself in it for a little while.
*And in case you're wondering about those two knitting references, you can find them discussed at length, along with a great deal about the place of knitting in Regency England, in a splendid article by Sheryl Craig, "Jane and Knitting" (pages 20–23). Cheers,
|
