This is a picture of my Dad's banjo. I'm showing it to you to make a point about patina, and how important it really is.
Years and years ago, my Dad and Mom would play music up on the ranch just on a whim or whenever there was a family gathering.. which was fairly often. They also played for dances in the little one room school house about a mile down the road from our cabin. My Dad or Pappy as everyone called him, played this old banjo; so often that the spaces you see between the frets have been worn down by his fingers.
My Dad died when I was 7 years old, and one of the very few objects he left is this old banjo and the warm memories it brings. It now has a special place up in the cabin and just a glance at that old fret board still brings a smile.
There are "things" that after much use, carry a bit of the character and heart of the owner. I call that "patina" and it can be found on lots of things; an old Dr. Suess book with torn pages and crayon marks, an old pocket knife with the handle rubbed smooth, Christmas ornaments with the shine half gone from wondrous seasons gone by, a pipe with chewed stem and faint aroma of "Field and Stream" tobacco... and maybe even a crochet hook that's been worn smooth by hands while making heirlooms for loved ones. Such things are treasures well beyond any money value, not necessarily because of the items themselves, but from the traces of the heart left by the user.
So what does all this have to do with crochet hooks? Well, I hope that maybe some of the hooks I make might become a little like that old banjo.
Jimbo
4 comments:
Amen. Here's to Patina.
I remember my grandfather's banjo and how it looked.
I hope one day mine will look the same.
Lord knows my hooks will lol
I love the story of your father's banjo, I have an old worn metal crochet hook from my grandma with dents and chips, precious hands held these things, glad we can have these memories.
I love the idea of having a "patina" on my Jimbo hooks that I will be able to handle down to my grandchildren. I nhope tha my grandchildren have Jimbo hooks of their own in which to leave their own patina on. I loved your story as it reminded me of my father and his pipe. I lost him 26 years ago and can still smell the scent of his tobacco at times of stress. Thank you for the wonderful story and the hopes for the future
A great story! It is very true that things that are worn, faded, often dented and scratched can hold cherished memories in those "imperfections".
I am sure that one day you fabulous Jimbo Hooks will shine with their own patine as they are passed lovingly on from family member to family member.
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