“Button’s Bit”
I cannot sew, I cannot knit,
I wish that I were wiser;
But I resolved to do “my bit”
To help to down the Kaiser.
The days grew warm, my hair was long
And softer than chamois;
They sheared my coat, and spun soft wool
And knitted socks for Sammy.
Every so often, some sends you the most amazing thing in the world. And sometimes that most amazing thing in the world gets eaten by your inbox and you discover it later only to be kicking yourself that you didn’t see it properly the first go-round. I’m blaming inbox monsters. If they can exist under your bed, why not in your inbox, too?
This is one of those very times, as this book is absolutely incredible and about a wee little dog. A very special wee little dog with super soft fur everyone compares to fleece, so like a sheep he is shorn so his fur can be made into wool which will be knit into items for soldiers at war.
Thanks so much, Erica! You are awesome.
When was the last time you actually took time to listen to other people share their stories? Learn how it can be a rare gift over here at Make & Meaning. Added bonus: Details on places to find herring, Civil War reenactors and fancy peanuts included.
Modern understanding of the art of many cultures tends to be distorted by the modern privileging of fine art media over others, as well as the very different survival rates of works in different media. Works in metal, above all in precious metals, are liable to be “recycled” as soon as they fall from fashion, and were often used by owners as repositories of wealth, to be melted down when extra money was needed. Illuminated manuscripts have a much higher survival rate, especially in the hands of the church, as there was little value in the materials and they were easy to store.
The term craft also refers to the products of artistic production or creation that require a high degree of tacit knowledge, are highly technical, require specialized equipment and/or facilities to produce, involve manual labour or a blue-collar work ethic, are accessible to the general public and are constructed from materials with histories that exceed the boundaries of western art history, such as ceramics, glass, textiles, metal and wood. These products are produced within a specific community of practice and while they differ from the products produced within the communities of art and design, the boundaries of such often overlap resulting in hybrid objects. Additionally, as the interpretation and validation of art is frequently a matter of context, an audience may perceive crafted objects as art objects when these objects are viewed within an art context, such as in a museum or in a position of prominence in one’s home.