1/29/2003
mea culpa?
Previously, my blog description said something like "my forays in the womanly arts". It dawned on me suddenly that this may have been offensive or at least off-putting to some -- particularly those who do not see themselves as womanly.
To me, the whole Domestic Sphere -- and the traditional dichotomy between public/male private/female of old school Social Science --is meant to be a tad ironic. I spent quite a few years in academe studying Anthropology...
And then I had kids and became a HOUSEWIFE. I love being a housewife. I love puttering around the house doing housewifey things. I take care of kids. I cook. I clean. I knit and sew. I do charming little craft projects with egg cartons and pipe cleaners. I have a tremendous soft spot for old etiquette books, cook books, and any other guides that tell women how they ought to behave, implicitly or explicitly. I hang out with other over-educated, under-employed housewives.
I am very much IN the domestic sphere. And it's underrated.
Anyway, the conception of this blog centered around these ideas. When I started the Domestic Sphere, there weren't any knitting weblogs hosted by men (at least that I was aware of), but that has changed and there is now a growing community of male knitters with web presence. I don't believe that knitting or any other art or craft belongs particularly to women or men. I think everyone should find a medium for creative expression -- whether it's crocheting doilies or carving with chainsaws -- and do it, regardless of what the neighbors think. And if I were your neighbor, I would be thrilled to have another knitter next door!
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