First Things First

Being my very first post on the first of the month of the brand new year, I thought it would be entirely suitable for me to write about “firsts” of mine. Things that started me off in all the areas that I still frequent today.

This is the first quilt I ever made, sewn when I was ten or eleven. I took a class with several other girls, including my sister, with whom I quilt regularly now. I would say we make at least six quilts a year together. Most are gifts.

I intended to get a picture of my first “big” knitting project, but I cannot seem to locate it. It was a white hat, knit on circular needles in stockinette stitch. I must have been nine or ten then as well. Unfortunately, it was doomed for a sudden demise. The puppy of a good friend decided that it looked tasty, so during one visit, he succeeded in tearing several big holes in it. I was utterly crushed and couldn’t bear to throw it away. I am sure I still have it somewhere, but it will take some hunting to find it. Ironically enough, although I knit many other people hats that year, I never made myself another, and I haven’t to this day got one to call my own. I ought to do something about that, really.

This is far from my first drawing, because, after all, I think everyone starts “drawing” the moment they first receive crayons and paper, often before they can piece together a coherent sentence. No, this picture I drew when I was ten, but I am making note of it here because it was when I started paying attention to shading and contrast. I am glad to say that I have improved somewhat since then.

Again, this electrifying image is not my first photograph, but this particular one launched me into the world of regarding photos as a kind of art. My favorite subjects still are flowers, trees, and other things of nature. I consider it a challenge to accurately capture the beauty of these things in still images.