Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Incipit

When I was a child, the knitting needles of our house were kept in a cardboard cylinder-boxey thing, originally a presentation case for whisky: Glenlivet, 8 years old.

The tube held every size of needle, from long grey metal super-skinny ones to the little plastic chubby needles that kids learn on. There were crochet needles too - my sister's, which she used for magicking up fine sparkling cotton creations throughout our childhood.

Anyhoo, before you went to knit something, you'd take the tube and turn it upside-down and dump all the needles out. The needles made this sound as they tipped over, a metallic tinkle-clanging; it was momentary, quickly absorbed by carpet. To me, it was the sound of Something Starting. You'd rifle through all the needles to pick out a pair, and then embark on making something treaty and pretty and fun.

Years later, I got a needle organiser - it looked like a giant version of one of those jewellery travel pouches. Inside it had a zillion little pockets; each pair of needles stored separately and neatly. And silently.

I had forgotten about all things needle-ey until recently, when my mom passed on the Glenlivet tube to me. And I tipped the contents out, and there was the clannnnng, and I was just transported, this childlike excitement flooded through me as the needles announced: Something Starting.

I know, I know... easily pleased :-)

4 comments:

TomRourke said...

Transported once again to a different time and place, and an old black tin tea caddy with Chinese designs.....

SaraC said...

what was it with those black chinese tea caddies and where did they come from? I don't remember us keeping tea in it but we definitely had one around the house and I remember seeing them in friends' houses also..

Orlaith said...

We never had one, but I think an aunt did - to me, it was as impossibly exotic as a unicorn. Or a butter curler :-)

TomRourke said...

Are you trying to tell us you've found a Unicorn?