Crafts

When I was a freshman in high school, my friend Gretchen gave me a Christmas card she'd made herself.  It was a picture of people skating on a pond.  The bodies of the people were made with her fingerprint and she added arms, legs, scarves, skates.  I was simply awed by her creativity.

I, however, am not "artistic."  Well, not in the traditional sense.  I cannot draw a picture of something.  I also have difficulty putting colors together.  Frankly, I don't actually consider myself fashionable in no small part because I am not artistic.  (It's been my experience, generally, that those who are arty can put a good outfit together out of nothing.)

Anyway, I do enjoy crafts.  I enjoy knitting -- and reading knitting magazines, looking at knitting patterns online, taking knitting classes.  I have also enjoyed making cards, making jewelry, and designing scrapbooks.  This is all thanks to people like Martha Stewart who have brought their ideas to the consumer.

Crafts can be costly.  I was just looking at a knitting place in Manhattan that charges 50 bucks an hour for knitting help.  Yikes!  That would send me in another direction.  However, you can just stop in at my local knitting shop for a quick tip (or not so quick).  Buying beads and string and fixtures for a necklace can also be costly.  If you keep stuff, it's okay.  I started making jewelry about 10 years ago and have amassed quite a collection of findings.  While I don't make much jewelry these days, I still have the stuff and can it I want to.  I also have my scrapbooking materials which I pull out every so often when I get in the mood.  (Scrapbooks are great for keeping my kids' school memories in order.)  Despite the cost, it's soothing to craft.

Years ago I went on a camping adventure with 7th grade students.  I was surprised to find my friend Liz had brought along her crocheting.  There she sat, working on a curtain no less!  I was inspired by her craft too!

PBS did a series called Craft in America.  It was a fascinating look at people who still craft -- blacksmiths, potters, textile designers etc.  The dedication and art involved in craft was interesting and inspiring.  It showed the value of art -- in an age when we can get our hands on mass-produced goods, it's nice to see one-of-a-kind pieces made by people who are driven by creativity.

I am no artist, but I value crafts.  I love pottery and the interesting textures of yarns made in this country.  I like touching the wood of a piece of furniture made by hand.  I am drawn to the colors of a hand sewn quilt.  I suppose it's why I am drawn to craft fairs and such.  Like Gretchen's Christmas card or Liz's curtain, I appreciate hand crafted work.