Share

Are you a closet crafty?

accreditation
Wool
Wool
When I was pregnant with my first child, my nesting instinct manifested itself in an urge to knit. I thought I hated the very idea of knitting (that Std 1 teacher had a lot to answer for), but I found myself perving cute little stripey hats and pullovers anyway. On the day that I finally snuck off to the office photocopier with my mother-in-law's book of knitting patterns for babies, I felt more furtive and ashamed than if I'd been copying porn.

That was then. Now, I have no shame. I knit, I crochet, and I brazenly do it in public. I will happily huddle in corners with complete strangers to discuss yarns, or yarn shops, or the advantages of the magic loop over double-pointed needles. I indiscreetly examine other people's knitwear in random public spaces, or pause DVDs to examine particularly impressive bits of design.

And no, I haven't suddenly fast-forwarded to a premature dotage. On the contrary, I find myself caught up in a burgeoning global community of tech-savvy knitters that embraces everyone from yarn graffiti artists or "yarn bombers") through the creators of knitted body parts to the 12,944 (at last count) people who have made Kate Gilbert's wildly popular Clapotis scarf and told the world about it on Ravelry.

The knitters, in turn, are part of a larger movement of crafters and hand-makers that constitutes a slow, subtle, mostly mild-mannered but remarkably effective revolt against consumerism, debt, disempowerment, disconnection and other unpleasant manifestations of late capitalism. No, really. Finish laughing, if you must, and read on. When you pick up knitting needles and a ball of yarn, or bring out your sewing machine or pick up an embroidery or quilting needle, you are making a powerful choice to create (or mend, or recycle) something for yourself instead of buying it. Instead of handing your money over to a multinational, you are investing it and your time in developing the skills with which to create something unique and (hopefully) beautiful.

Some interesting things happen along the way. A lot of people, once they realise quite how much effort goes into sewing a garment or beading a necklace, never feel quite the same again about sweatshop bargains. We find ourselves buying more thoughtfully, appreciating the handmade over the mass-produced and cultivating respect for the people who do the making.

That, in turn, fosters the making of new connections. Crafters around the world read each others' blogs, exchange comments, patterns and advice, and send each other gifts in intricately choreographed "swaps" that must be keeping a lot of postal services afloat. The crafters who turn their hobbies into businesses find support, customers and a ready-made publicity network.

I’m slightly over-analysing this, of course (it’s what I do). Actually there are many reasons to craft, most prominently because it’s fun, and rewarding, and no matter how goofy your project is there will be someone out there who loves it.  As I am writing this, the front page of craftzine.com, a kind of global clearing house for cool craftiness, features Halloween costumes for dogs, a papercraft exhibition in New York that has to be seen to be believed, a stunningly iced Impressionist cake, recipes for New Mexican frijoles and strawberry rhubarb jam, and how-to tutorials for making a tutu, an acorn-shaped bird feeder, a rainskirt or a K’nex lightbox. If you can’t something in there to love, be inspired by or at least chuckle over, there is something wrong.

In short, making stuff feels good, it connects us to other people and, with practice, it produces objects of which we can be proud to say “I made that”. If you’re a closet crafter reading this, come out! And if you have yet to join the revolution: you have nothing to lose but your debt.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE