Happy Monday!!
So, as I mentioned, I'm going to start doing a weekly entry for my digital "Handmade Hall of Fame," where I share a group or individual associated with handmade throws. This will allow me to organize some of the links/images I seem to love collecting, and will hopefully get me in the habit of updating here more often. For some of these (possibly all), my tone my get a little butt-kissy, but it can't really be helped. I'm in awe of anyone who does handmade throws (so much time and energy for something you give away!!) so I know that's going to bleed into my posts. So be it.
As a bit of background, handmade throws are certainly nothing new, with Zulu coconuts as the earliest and perhaps most famous example. That being said,signature throws in general and one of a kind, handmade throws in particular have definitely been getting more attention in recent years. This shift has been attributed to growing environmental considerations (a desire for a "greener" Carnival, if you will), and also the personal connection that a handmade throw forges between the rider and the recipient. Riders in interviews report enjoying throwing something that they know will be treasured rather than thrown into a corner to collect dust. Even Krewes that don't have handmade throws seem to have more "signature throws" to set them apart each year.
When we were little girls, there wasn't as much variety or emphasis on signature throws, so naturally my sister and I wanted more more MORE plastic beads. In contrast, my mother told us when she was little and beads were glass, she'd be happy if she could catch a strand or two because they were so precious. Nowadays, we can stike a balance between quantity and quality: you can seek out and enjoy both the thrill of being drowned in beads AND the experience of someone reaching out and personally handing you something precious that will live on your mantle forever. Now that I've outgrown the irrational plastic bead lust of my childhood, I can still look forward to a weeks-long a treasure hunt on wheel.Though plenty of krewes can still be counted on to flood spectators in a deluge of beads and cups (Endymion, Bacchus, Orpheus), there are more and more opportunities for those treasured hand made signature throws. How lucky are we?
Links for further reading on this trend:
Remaking Mardi Gras
Throw Your Hands Up
Greener Mardi Gras Throws Coming to Carnival
Krewe of Freret Considering "ban" on Plastic Beads for 2014 parade
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