Handmade in Hamburg
Practical Beauty by Hilary W .
Some of Hilary ‘ s finished pottery pieces . ( Photo by Hilary W . )
Pottery is such a fun and deeply satisfying art form . One of the things I particularly appreciate is how meditative it is . You can ’ t properly center the clay unless you ’ re feeling centered yourself . I also love its practical side . It gives me great pleasure to eat and drink out of dishes that I ’ ve made with my own hands , and to be able to give handmade gifts to my friends . Unfortunately , it ’ s not a hobby you can easily do at home unless you ’ re lucky enough to have your own wheel and kiln . One of the things that made me saddest during our corona lockdowns was all the lost time I wasn ’ t able to make pottery ! I ’ m deeply grateful that the Volkshochschule is open again and that I can once again spend my Wednesday evenings sitting at a pottery wheel .
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with Oliver and a pink one with a bow made from Chanel ribbon lives with Florence in Sussex . Three “ teddy bear ” -colored ones live in Hamburg with Eire , Theodora , and Marla . And of course my own grandchildren each have one !
Years ago , I found a pattern for baby “ sandals ” and have lost count of the number I ’ ve made . The same pattern book has baby slippers , adorable and impractical but gorgeous when knitted in pink angora wool and decorated with satin bows . Making small things for children doesn ’ t take up much time and satisfies the need to be creative .
Now that I ’ ve left Hamburg and
Baby booties are adorable and don ‘ t take much time .
returned to London , I ’ ve started to knit for homeless children and hand in mittens , hats , and sweaters to a donation point . During the first lockdown , I made tiny donkeys for a fundraiser for a donkey charity . Before I left my home in Hamburg , a friend asked me to make some angel decorations for a Christmas bazaar . We knitted them together and used many different shades of skin-colored wools for their faces , ranging from pale pink to dark brown . Last Christmas , I made reindeer for a charity shop that raises funds for cancer research . Jeremy Fisher , Beatrix Potter ’ s story character , was purchased from a charity shop . He is a delight ; he has a lacy cravat , a pink waistcoat , stripey legs , and tiny bows on his shoes .
My knitting is a humble cousin to those glorious New England quilts and samplers , but making presents for children is an enjoyable way of passing the time . If you feel inspired , I shall be happy to send you my patterns . I specialize in quick and easy !
24 The Clubs within Our Club