A Bouquet of Needles & The Delta!

This is a bouquet of bamboo needles in a bamboo pottery vase. These needles range in size from US 5 to US 7. I use them for washcloths. This vase is generally near my favorite knitting spot, one that is away from the distractions of family, cats, and TV. It is one of my favorite "bouquets"!

The vase is one of the many treasures I picked up in "the Delta" when visiting my daughter at college. (She recently graduated from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi) The little bamboo vase came from Merigold, Mississippi, a magical little town off of Highway 61, the Blues Highway. This is an example of the subtle beauty of McCarty's Pottery. The McCarty's are legendary in the state of Mississippi and across the world for their work using native clays. The story goes that William Faulkner showed the McCarty's a clay deposit in a ravine on his property and told them they could have it. They insulated their barn with cardboard, freezing in the winter and sweltering in the summer in order to produce their unique vision for pottery. Lee & Pup McCarty are probably in their 80's and they still have a strong work ethic. If you are ever in that area visiting their barn and restaurant is a must!

Highway 61, the Blues Highway, runs through the Mississippi Delta region. The junction of Highway 61 and Highway 49 in Clarksdale is a famous crossroads. According to the legend, Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for mastery of the blues! On the southern end of Highway 61, at the intersection of Highway 82 in Leland, you find the birthplace of Muppets creator, Jim Henson. Just to the East on 82, is Indianola, childhood home of B.B.King, Albert King, and home of Henry Sloan...all Blues legends.

There are many other treasures to be found in "The Delta"...Viking Cooking School, Doe's Eat Place, Morgan Freeman, the Fighting Okra, the Tamale Trail, Koolickles, King Cotton just to name a few.