Annikki has another skill which surfaced publicly rather late in life. I only realised it when I saw my lungis slowly disappearing.
Annikki's evening relaxation, crocheting
Annikki crocheting art phase with - a flower.
I had brought many lungis with me when we moved from India to Finland. It is my most comfortable nightwear.
The best lungis I had were all 110 count made by a Rotarian friend’s company (Mohamed Aboobacker) from Madurai in Tamilnadu called ”Chank Brand”.
Chunk Brand lungi from Tamilnadu.
The crocheting process is described in this Wikipedia entry.
A crochet needle.
Every visit to India I used to bring back a couple of lungis, although they are long lasting. Periodically, there were mishaps and they could get torn. But I preserved them as the fabric was supersoft and I was emotionally attached to them.
After my heart failure, Annikki kept a watchful eye over me. She restricted her outdoor activities, as gardening, and even her cake making days had been done and dusted.
She needed another creative art form. She discovered crocheting.
Like a small child, she started with simple shapes as discs. She cut up torn clothes into strips and using a single crochet needle, she crocheted small items.
A crocheted sofa seat cover
A crocheted table piece.
A crocheted basket and flowers.
Then, using different colours, she started to do patterned designs.
The next phase was to bring shapes into play. Small baskets were made, first cylindrical and then tapered. She started to mix the colours.
Introduction of colour.
A multi-coloured crochet basket.
Colours make crocheted baskets alive.
A tapered crocheted basket container.
.Shapes crochet experimentation.
Crocheted basket.
Crocheted basket with eggs.
Crocheted baskets.
Different crocheted shapes.
Cocheted cups and saucers set.
One this was done Annikki created flowers and leaves to give variety to her crocheting.
Not satisfied with that she started different shapes as mice, dogs, cats, birds and arranged them in humorous sets.
Tomatoes in crocheted bowl and a crocheted turtle.
Crocheted duck with eggs.
Crocheted duck holding pears.
Crocheted Christmas tree.
Crocheted dead bird.
Crocheted mouse.
Crocheted cat drinking milk.
A crocheted mouse.
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Crocheted cat, dog, mouse and dead bird.
Crocheted cat drinking milk with a dead bird lying next to it.
Crocheted cat drinking milk
A crocheted bonnet.
Crocheted elephant's foot
Crocheted butterfly.
Crocheted flower basket.
Gift-wrapped crocheted floral gift.
Crocheted flowers
She decided that she would use a new material
for crocheting. Annikki found waste plastics film
was a good possibility.
Dragonfly crocheted from waste plastics.
When she decided she would have some fun.
She knew my nickname in school was “dead chicken” as I had drowned during a school picnic. The teacher who pulled me out, took me to the shore hanging me upside down by my feet. My good friend, Viney Sethi, gave me this nickname.
Crocheted dead chickens!!
Annikki produced two dead chickens as Mr. & Mrs. Dead Chicken. These adorn our living room to this day.
To Annikki, crocheting was a form of art where she could take some rags and make them into useful useful objects.
Finns have specialised in using rags for making rough carpets, but forAnnikki it became a fun art project.
I tried to persuade her into converting her hobby into a business, but she would have none of it.
After I saw her amazing versatility of crocheting, one year I sent a Christmas gift to my friends around the world which showcased Annikki’s crocheting ability.
Finally, I came down to one solitary lungi.
When a young student was travelling to Oulu to
join Oulu Univrrdity, I asked his father to send me a couple of Chank Brand lungis.
I never thought in Punjab he would find something which is so SoNuth Indian and especially the Muslims of north Kerala.
To my surprise, Amit Arora's son Aloukik, turned up with two great 110 count Chank Brand lungis.
I use these as my nightwear.
These days, I am extra careful as I sleep with my extra lungis under my pillow! You an never trust Annikki if she finds she has new material, my lungis, for her hobby! :-)
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