Red Threads

This post is adapted from the original which was published in 2015

It’s nearly Valentines day and once again I’ve been busy working on a themed window display for the Norwich Lanes Valentines window competition. Some of you may remember last years display – and this year I was thrilled to be asked to work with the fabulous wool shop Norfolk Yarn in Pottergate.

A stash of wool, some red thread, a spinning wheel, a few nails and a roll of rose print wallpaper all feature in this years display, and I’m very grateful to Rebecca at the shop for humouring my rather loose  interpretation of the Valentines theme!

Wool, string, or thread of some description was always going to be the essence of this work. It describes the shop and defines my self.

As a child of the 1970’s I was threading string around nails in a fashion that was eventually unravelled, rewound and reworked into the most beautiful and evocative artworks of contemporary artists such as Chiharu Shiota and Debbie Smyth.

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There is something very emotive about red thread. It features in many different cultures as a metaphor or signifier for emotional  ties and familial relationships.

The Red String of Fate is a myth with its roots in East Asia and the story goes that the gods tie a red string around the ankles, or the little fingers, of two people that are destined to meet and become soulmates. The magical cord may become stretched, or tangled over time, but it will never break.

The tug of an invisible thread reminds us of our connections to others; our heart strings are strummed, we’re bound by duty; it’s time to cut the apron strings; there’s no strings attached, it’s a long drawn-out affair, who’s pulling your strings? I can’t seem to string this sentence together…..       I can’t finish this post without the promise of a little Valentines gift……….so if you rather like the look of the little crochet hearts in this display – I’ll give you the pattern in Issue 20 of The Mercerie Post!

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