All about Dream Wear...and yes, pictures will be forth-coming...
http://thesilkenthreadbyknittingjourneyman.blogspot.com/2010/01/dreaming-of-new-wears.html
This project began with a divorce. The children and I moved across country, to a place utterly foreign to them, away from everyone they knew and loved. It wasn’t easy on anyone. My daughter especially had a difficult time at night, when it was time to sleep.
We already had ‘Monster Spray’. We had the ‘magical’ incense to keep the air sweet and clear so happy thoughts would come flying in. We had special prayers after story time. We rang bells to invoke Angelic benevolence. We had a bedtime ritual that made sure nothing was overlooked. There was nothing under the bed, in the closet, behind the curtains, behind the door, not in the shadows. But my daughter still had trouble sleeping. At wits end trying to come up with something else to help her, other than me laying down with both children and holding them until they fell asleep every single night, I devised a decent plan.
I knit my daughter a dream hat. My son only got a knitted toy and he was satisfied with that. My daughter is more difficult to please. I took a soft wool and blended it with a wool-acrylic blend, in two hues that were close, but not exactly alike, and I wove for my daughter a cap that would hold only the happiest and purest of thoughts.
It’s been five years now. The hat is a touch small now, but it still fits. It will still stay on in the middle of the night. She still wears it every single night, except during the summer, when it is too hot. Then she merely clutches it in her hand every night.
One small hat became a miracle to a small uncertain child.
Thus was Dream Wear born.
It did not stop at a hat. Oh no. My son had his dream doll. At first, it was a snake. Then there was a cowboy. Then an octopus. Now he has a doll he cannot sleep without it at his side.
My daughter, as she grows older and matures, and is facing pre-puberty and peer pressure and the advent of a new family dynamic, has been requesting other items of late to help her not only sleep without bad dreams, but to help her fall asleep. She has also asked for many things to help her capture her good dreams and keep them with her throughout the day.
I have often made similar objects for friends, family and clients, each item made for each individual, depending upon the needs of each person. These items are not just for dreams or for sleeping. Many objects are used for a multitude of reasons.
Here are a few of the items I’ve made in the past:
Dream hats, made from a variety of materials. There is not just one single pattern. I decide on what pattern based on the person for whom the hat is being made. At least one family member spent nearly two months trying to decide what sort of hat would look best on her…and yes, this was a sleep hat as well.
Meditation shawls, blankets and throws. Again, each is made for the individual. Colors, materials and styles vary.
I have also made cloths in this various. Handkerchief sized, bath cloth sized, even coaster sized.
Table runners. Scarves. Wall hangings. Arm warmers. Hand warmers. Slippers. Belts.
I have even knitted something along the lines of a strand of prayer beads, but used the various stitches in lieu of beads.
Bags, much like my daughter’s dream bag. Small bags. Satchel-sized bags. Wallet-sized bags. Spirit bags. Something to hold that which is personal and meaningful to the person who shall be using the item. I myself have a gratitude bag that I gathered together to hold different things.
I have even made pillows, tiny ones to more bed pillow sized ones, also for numerous reasons.
This is only the beginning of what I can and do create to help others, for whatever reason. These items are not just to keep bad dreams away, or to hold onto good dreams. Each piece has a meaning and a purpose individual to the person for whom it is made. Some of these are even made as memorial gifts to commemorate different events and milestones in people’s lives.
So, tell me, what can I create for you today that will help you along your journey?
