An unlikely hobby

When I returned from California and was living in retirement in Abington Massachusetts, I remarked to my friend Cissy that I wished I had a hobby. After some thought, she suggested needlepoint, which I thought was hilarious. I had no aptitude for sewing (couldnt sew a button on), no artistic talent, and for heavens sake I am a man. She reminded me that the great football player Rosie Grier was a needlepoint stitcher, so I agreed to try.

I bought a small kit, sorted all the yarns by color, measured them, cut them, and try as I might I could not thread the needle. Oh well, so much for that hobby.

The next time Cissy visited me she brought with her a small gadget called a needle threader.

I proceeded to stitch the small portraight of a duck. The finished product was horrible with stitches going in all directions, but I had learned some basic techniques.

For my birthday Cissy and Gerry bought me a kit with a painted canvas. This is the finished product.







Next, I found an old book with needlepoint patterns of wild animals. I scanned three of the patterns, enlarged them and stitched the inages onto blank canvas. I was very pleased with the results which are pictured below and now considered myself a needlework craftsman.

I will show you more of my creations in future blogs. I have been stitching them for several years for close friends and family to serve as my legacy.