Retired
: Honouring the Transition
Men's ties are fascinating
– in themselves, in their history. They
are often bought as gifts; there seem to be no cheap ties! Much thought usually goes into their selection: match an
outfit; match an occasion; match a personality. I have been collecting ties over many years;
wool, silk, cotton, polyester…woven, handmade, painted…pristine to ragbag
candidate. When I acquire them at
garage sales the comment heard over and over is "I don't need to wear a
tie any more – I'm retired." And then usually a wistful glance at the pile
of ties. These twenty-two ties
represent the leap from 'business' to 'leisure'. I joined them together with French knots and then knit them using
my arms as the knitting needles. During
this process of arm knitting came the thought of a neck hug and the hugger
becoming a human tie, for a moment, and easing the transition.