ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

I recently did a bit of a rave about Grannyg. She, that is Grannyg has a mission to save the world – one craft at a time, and she is doing very well at it, even on her own – she knits, spins, weaves, sews and bakes (I am told gloriously well). Oh, and she drinks coffee. I guess she must also drink tea given that the website is called Crafternoon Tea with Grannyg or maybe the name was a decision born to fill a rhyming need as Crafternoon Coffee with Grannyg does not work at all well.

Well Grannyg and I had a long talk a couple of weeks ago and today the podcast is up and ready so if you are at all curious about podcasts on crafts in, or to do with New Zealand and New Zealanders then do listen to it.

episode 36i – ConnieLene Johnston

Now I am Danish born, but I certainly sound like a New Zealander as you will hear. It is not so surprising as I have lived in New Zealand since December 28th 1948. Of course it is possible that it was the 29th, I just can’t quite recall, it being a wee while ago and at that time I was of an age where dates were not quite so important to me.

We established I have a long history with New Zealand including the craft / art / knitting world and as such am qualified to be interviewed, and what a fun interview that was. It did run on a bit, as it does when you are discussing stuff dear to your heart and it was great fun. Fortunately Grannyg being a very technically au fait granny, she has edited it a bit.

And if you think I laugh and sound like a smoker – believe me I am not and have never been. I spoke to Best Beloved about that and he reminded me that on the day I had a bad air day. What do you think of that – he noticed my bad air day, never ever notices my bad hair days. He was downstairs while Grannyg was interviewing me, or was that while we were talking about stuff we both love. No, it really was an interview.

Isn’t technology great – we spoke across the airwaves, and now I can, and I hope you do as well, we can listen to it over the airwaves – clear as day.

Sorry – I forgot say – we are living in Haarlem, in the Netherlands, In North Holland, which is why this was an interview via the ether. I am calmer about ether today you will note. We have been here in the Netherlands just over 2 years and will return to New Zealand late next year. In the meantime my Best Beloved is working, and I am designing and knitting, just filling in the days with yarn, ideas, colours and even patterns.

I hope these patterns and I probably have several hundred partially written or connie knithand notes that will become patterns. These here patterns are to be sold so I can continue my passion for yarns. I will quietly curl up my toes as the New Zealand pension is unlikely to be sufficient to cover my yarn needs.

Unique Boutique Knits – with my knit patterns

Please go look and then listen. It will help Grannyg with her quest and with luck it will also help me with mine – and please forward the link.

Life has been rather miserable since I found that the great balls of Haarlem have finally been replaced with a row of boring shiney posts.

Last Saturday, a very grey day indeed, when were feeling very very down having received sad news from home, we decided to go to Rotterdam for the day.

Why? – to see if we could get out to and see the great sea walls there, a wonder of the modern world they say. But we arrived too late in the day (at about 10.30am), and because it is quite a distance to get to the starting place (about 96k’s), and without a car all the more difficult. Yes, there were other options, but they did not really seem to satisfy – so we are going on a Wednesday soon, when we will satisfy Best Beloveds need to know and see on a special all day tour including the sea wall, gates, museum etc. They only run this specific all day tour on a Wednesday.

We must do it soon, so that with a bit of luck the sea itself will not be boiling so hard (It is the ferocious North Sea after all) that I cannot cope with the boat trip. Very soon, like, before the end of summer. Oh and I think we are there already, at the end of summer, I mean. The air has changed, the light has changed, it is dark much earlier, even the birds behaviour is changing.

But as you can see – I found another stretch of water, a safe stretch, a calm stretch – a concrete river with concrete balls – and now I am inspired once more. I have a completed ball cover, and another one 75% done – and now I may have a place to position them.

A concrete river, with round river stones – WOW!

In the heart of Rotterdam.

That is the news from Rotterdam

and the next news might be after a very busy Wednesday, I just might need some help with this.

The new Grote Markt road edge by St Bavo with the discarded balls in the background – Haarlem 2nd June 2010 – and I have 2 newly created unused ball warmers as well.

Who will polish the stainless steel shiny posts to keep the place looking shiny and clean and tidy? I wonder if that will be the job given to the person who removed my first ball warmer. I do hope so.

We were wandering about town last evening making a decision about where we should eat to celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary.

We wandered about the square, checked the menus of all the places we have eaten at before, and those that we haven’t yet, and in the end we decided to try the new restaurant “Sumo” – and it was a great meal, great restaurant, great staff, even great wallpaper if you please. But this little story is not about our meal where we celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary.

It is about the balls of Haarlem. You know the ones – The Great Balls of Haarlem”

I know I have spoken of these often, or should I say that “I have written about these often”. I have been photographing these balls of Haarlem for more than 1 and 1/2 years now – and I will have to post a gallery later.

But now it seems they really will not be back.

We have been watching as they rebuilt the road, reinstalled some of the balls, removed some of the balls, reinstalled more of the balls, and have had others balls nestled next to the St Bavo Church waiting to be reinstalled.

The square looked very very forlorn last evening. It wasn’t celebrating with us, it was cold and unyielding. It was crisp and sharp and defined, and missing the ambience that we have grown to know and love.

The balls, the great Balls of Haarlem have been replaced with cylindrical stainless steel posts and the balls are all thrown into the corner. They are surplus to requirements here in Haarlem, and the square looks so so wrong.

I simply cannot say anymore just now, I am gutted, I am sick to the core, I feel very very sad.

I must go to the square now, and see what it is like in the day time, and to take photos in case the balls are still there in the pile waiting to be removed. Believe it or not – we didn’t take the camera last evening.

I am passionate about those balls and I am going to miss them very much.

The balls are back like rows of Bridesmaids awaiting to move forward in the church.

They will look grand back in position. Trouble is, and I do not know if this is trouble yet, there were 24 balls (not the 25 I originally stated), now there are 20 waiting. I do hope the evenly spaced balls will look as grand on this elegant curve if there are only 20. It could also be that when I go back today that another 4 will have materialised.

A Yarnbombing, A Graffiti Art Knit installation, or an Urban Art installation will occur here again I am sure. I do hope the powers that be in Haarlem will let them sit and rest a little before removing them next time.