Warning: there might be some Doctor Who spoilers in here. Not for the new episodes, of course (I wish!), but better to be forewarned if you are slowly working your way through the episodes.
Quaere Fibers Silk and Merino wool in the colorway Vincent and the Doctor
So the other day, my oldest son read me the following quote:
“People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff.”
and I questioned, "and who said that?"
"the 10th Doctor, David Tennant"
"In which episode?"
"Blink!"
Parenting Win!! I actually think I may have pumped my fist in the air. Hehe.
The reason I am bringing this up in my knitting blog? Well, we've been watching from Series 1, in order, only skipping a few that were extra scary. I asked the other day if we could skip ahead to my favorite episode, with the 11th doctor and Amy, called "Vincent and the Doctor." The kids said sure, so we watched it.
The part that I like the best is when they take Van Gogh forward in time to learn the lasting influence that his life and art has had on the world. The curator at the museum explains his view of Van Gogh's art, and how Van Gogh portrayed life in ways ... well, I think another quote is needed here.
“The Doctor: Between you and me, in a hundred words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?
Curator: Well... um... big question, but, to me Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all. Certainly the most popular, great painter of all time. The most beloved, his command of colour most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world, no one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world’s greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived.”
We watched that on the six month anniversary of Don's death. And I thought of the lasting influence of an incredible life, a quiet and ordinary life, a precious life. The best part of that episode is the possibility of knowing, before you are gone, all the influence and importance of your ordinary life. Don watched that episode on his Kindle one of the days he was getting chemo. I was sitting with him, knitting and listening to the episode as he watched. He cried, of course; he was very sentimental that way. I hope he had just an inkling, maybe just an idea, of how very much he was loved.
So, I had ordered some lovely yarn, pictured at the top of the blog, a few months ago. I was wondering what to do with it. After watching the show, I had a vision. I dug around in stitch dictionaries, and found an idea. I modified and played with it, and wrote out my own directions, and started the shawl you see in the picture. I am really happy with the way the colors and stitches are playing out, reminding me of Van Gogh's Starry Night.
I probably won't sell this one. But if you see me wearing it, come and admire the colors, the swirl of the fabric, the softness and drape of the knitting. I will wear it to celebrate that extraordinary, ordinary life that changed our lives forever.
And one final quote:
“Vincent Van Gogh: [Explaining how he sees the world] Look at the sky. It’s not dark and black and without character. The black is, in fact deep blue. And over there: lighter blue and blowing through the blues and blackness the winds swirling through the air and then shining, burning, bursting through: the stars!
[the sky gradually transforms into van Gogh’s painting Starry Night]
Vincent Van Gogh: And you see how they roar their light. Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes.”
The Original