Celebrating National Craft Month 2020

Okay, show of hands, how many of you are under a state mandated quarantine? 

Image from Pixabay: Kaz.

I hope you're all doing well. It's not easy being cooped up and feeling locked away from our support systems. Remember, you can always reach out to friends and family virutaly. Also, there are no rules about actually leaving the house. You're just not supposed to congregate and be within six feet of people you aren't already around on a daily basis inside your home. 

This means you're free to go for walks outside. Don't add to the feeling of cabin fever by being afraid of going outside!

Another way to help boost your mental health is to learn something knew. As March is National Craft Month, a new crafting hobby might be just your thing! I recently took up crochet --Okay, a coworker went on vacation and didn't tell me what her program was, nor that I was filling in for her, and I learned on the fly how to crochet a basic chain--and I've been hooked (pun intended) ever since.

There are some really neat projects you can make with crochet! Personally, I'm most interested in the cute little creatures referred to as Amigurumi. But I was super intimidated by the books I checked out from my library (patterns are super weird looking) and decided to just watch simple YouTube videos to teach me the basics.

With some yarn provided by one of the library patrons that taught me how to crochet, I've started a blanket for my daughter. It's a little crooked, and I missed a few stitches here and there, but I think she'll love it once it's finished. 

But if you're interested, here are a few of the other tutorials I've been watching and a couple of the projects I'm looking forward to starting!

B.Hooked Crochet & Knitting [Username]. (2018, April 5). How to Crochet in the Round: Starting Methods: Magic Ring, Chain Method. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7M133vWziI

Special Features:

YouTube provides closed captioning and the ability to slow down the playback speed (which makes it much easier to watch and attempt at the same time and requires less pausing and replaying). I also like that I can make the video full screen if I want to (which helps with the small details of crocheting). The video creator also lists several links in the video description that lead to a left-hand tutorial (which is very important with crochet! If you’re watching the wrong handed tutorial you will be lost. Trust me.), a full video guide on “crocheting in the round”, the creator’s blog and knitting channel.

Audience Recommendations:

This tutorial was created for beginning crocheters, and as a beginner, I feel that this is an adequate description. Crochet requires some honed fine motor skills and patience. I would recommend ages 8+ if they’re intended to use the tutorial to begin crocheting. However, I’m sure there are some younger kiddos that have what it takes! The video itself doesn’t have anything vulgar or inappropriate.

Comparison:

Crochet Guru [Username]. (2012, December 6). Crochet Magic Circle- Stitch Guide. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEq48ABHRZo&list=PLFNuxc-rxC7RMPLcjl_NGLXzq_cmRPuFR&index=3

I actually watched this video first and fumbled and fumbled. Eventually I ended up finding the video I used as the focus item for this because I really wanted to know how to make a magic ring and I simply couldn’t figure it out with this video. That’s not to say that this video is absolutely terrible. I really like the way this creator takes the time to explain what a magic ring is and why it’s used. She also has a section at the end that details tips for using the magic circle. She also shows you what the written Magic Circle Pattern looks like, which is important when you’re learning from a book or simply reading through a shared pattern.

Top Five Current Favorites:

1. Crochet Amigurumi Jellyfish (Quick & Easy!) Ideal for Beginners –okay so with this one, I haven’t watched it all the way through. I stopped when I realized that I didn’t know how to do the Magic Circle, but this is definitely a project I want to work on and learn how to make!

2. Crochet Amigurumi Jellyfish Keychain (SUPER FAST) Quick easy Crochet Project—I also haven’t watched this one all the way through either, but it’s a shorter (and of course smaller end product) or the first tutorial. I thought this one might be more digestible with a little one in the house.

3. How to crochet- Magic Ring (or Magic Circle) –this is another great tutorial for how to do create a Magic Ring. It’s only three minutes long and the creator does a great job of making her hand motions easy to follow and using key crochet terms so that viewers learn both the terms and the motions by watching this simple and short video!

4. How to Crochet -Easy beginners Amigurumi Whale Tutorial –This is another tutorial I would like to try!

5. 5 Tips For Improving Your Amigurumi –These are great tips, and I might look up this YouTube creator later for other projects.

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What crafty things have you been up to? 

Also, a special thank you to all of you still working to keep our community healthy, safe, and fed!

Struggles & Heartbreak

Photo Credit: Pixabay

So, there have been a lot of changes going on in my life here of late. One, I’ve been accepted into graduate school for my Masters of Library Science degree (Yay!). Two, my fiancé was also accepted into graduate school (also a Yay!). However, we were accepted into two different schools in two different states. Also, we were going to get married in August-- a week before our classes start.

To make a long story short, panic set in and a lot of decisions were made in a short amount of time that, all summed together, painted a portrait of two people in love, walking down two very separate life paths.

Could we have found a compromise? I feel like somewhere, there’s always a compromise worth making if both parties put their whole hearts and souls into creating one. Somewhere along the line, however, one of our hearts faltered. We are no longer together.

There are several emotions I could list for you about how I’m currently feeling about my situation. It sucks to find myself alone after seven wonderful, difficult, loving, and heartbreaking years. It reminds me a lot of high school and it dredges up a lot of old insecurities revolving around not being good enough.

But bringing you down or causing you undue worry isn't my goal today. Instead I want to share with you something I read by another author, Lizbeth Meredith (How to Manage the Tone Of Your Author’s Page), that stated that it’s important to blog about our negative experiences, just as much as we do about our successes. It helps readers see that you, too, are human. (And that negative experiences are normal and part of being a human!) It’s also a way to connect with someone else who is going through a similar experience.

Well, here is my struggle; my broken heart upon my sleeve. I am human and my heart bleeds for a future that will never be. And it doesn’t matter how much I tell myself that if our relationship was meant to be, we would have found a solution. I have to accept this new change. Only time heals a broken heart. There’s no rushing it… Blah, blah, blah. It's all sound advice, honest...

But…

I’ve discovered that I’m struggling to find myself in the chaos that is my mind. What does it mean to be just “me” and not “we”—even when I already did so many of my everyday tasks by myself? It’s scary to notice all of the little things in my life that have changed after losing someone who held so much of my heart. All of the things that shouldn’t be any different—going to bed at night, waking up in the morning, hanging out with friends, eating dinner—suddenly are. I don't like how vulnerable I feel with all of these changes. Now, more than ever I just want to feel empowered.

Some days, I'm perfectly fine. Nothing can bring me down. Other days, my heart betrays me by replaying all of the happy and joyous moments from our shared past. In the dead of night, my mind whispers dark untruths about how much I'm burdening the people I lean on during my harder days. It reminds me how they've suffered through far worse than me.

But the truth is, we all handle our individual situations differently. A breakup is a big deal. And it's okay to take the time to feel and process those powerful emotions as long as precautions are taken to ensure that they are evaluated and felt in a safe manner and environment.

Readers, I hope life is treating you with far more favor. I don't wish this kind of heartache on anyone.

If life's not treating you well, remember, there are places you can turn to for help. Don’t let yourself get drown out by the overwhelming tide of emotions that threaten to knock you off your feet. Your struggle doesn’t have to be a solo journey.

There are always people who care and you are NOT a burden to them. No matter what your inner demons may tell you in the dark of night between ragged breaths and silent tears. You are NOT a burden.

If you are struggling, please know that you are not alone. And you don’t have to suffer in silence. Should you or a friend ever need them, these nonjudgmental and confidential sites and numbers are available to you free of charge 24/7:

• Suicide Hotline Website, Phone: 1 (800) 273-8255 
• Crisis Hotline Website, Phone: 1 (800) 273-8255 
• BeThe1To (5 steps to help prevent suicide)
• Mental Health America
• And if you're ever scared for your own life, or someone else's, never hesitate to dial 911

Remember, you are not a burden and you are not alone.

You are enough.

--Larkynn