Craft therapy

I’m having one of those weeks. A good week, actually, fun and sunny and full of activity, but manic. I’ve hardly stopped for breath. You know the feeling – it’s already Thursday, but my brain is still hovering back at Tuesday. I overbooked life this week.

So tonight I’m having a bit of craft therapy. A friend is having a few of us round for a craft evening, and the timing couldn’t be better. Craft evenings allow me to escape real life for a while, much like going to the cinema or out with friends. But at the end of a craft evening, I’ve nurtured my creative side and feel I’ve truly accomplished something!

I started my first craft group a handful of years ago. I was teaching a friend to crochet, and I knew a few others who were skilled at knitting and sewing, and I thought how nice it would be to get these few creative folks together to teach and inspire each other.

It was simple, really. A few emails to organise a date, a few cookies baked and a few introductions, and years later we have become a monthly haven of craftiness! I feel so lucky to have my craft group. We support each other’s endeavours – we share tips on crochet, knitting, sewing, stitching. We brainstorm solutions to tricky patterns; we encourage each other to try something new.

And over the years we’ve become quite close. I look forward to our meeting each month. We listen if one of us needs to unload our troubles, or we change the topic if one of us needs to ignore the troubles of everyday life (it’s easy to ramble on about craft and inspiration with like-minded friends...). And birthdays, ah the birthdays! Scrumptious cake and crafty gifts – the makings of a perfect date with friends!

 

This is a birthday gift I gave to a new friend who wants to learn to crochet. I made the little container using garden twine and some scrap strips of Tilda fabric. It’s all done in double crochet stitch, and is a good example of what a beginner can accomplish with just a bit of practice (I also love using materials other than yarn to show the versatility of crochet). I put a ball of yarn, a 4mm hook and a pattern for a crochet dishcloth inside, with the promise of crochet lessons.

I met this new friend at Little Flower’s pre-school, and we are now organising another craft group. Four of us are meeting this evening; I will teach some crochet, and I’m bringing my quilt blocks – we have an experienced quilter in this gang, so I will get some proper guidance!  

Nothing like a bit of craft therapy to get me through to the weekend...

Chrissie x