Working with my hands is joyful and meditative. I find pleasure in the chance to choose high quality raw materials, focus on patterns and stitches, incorporate intricate design elements, and make something unique or personalized. If I’m wound up in worry, picking up my crochet hook or sewing needle helps put life into perspective, cuts negative emotions down to size and reduces stress. Studies have shown that creative pursuits can indeed enhance feelings of happiness and well-being.
Wonder how to get creative if you’re not so inclined? One way is to “find your people”, as Tracey Brower suggests in a 2021 Forbes article “How to Be More Creative And Boost Happiness: 6 Ways to Get Inspired”. While making hats is mostly an individual endeavour, I draw inspiration from others. My sister who lives in Ontario gave me the idea to make headbands, a welcome transition from the warm hats of winter through the spring thaw. A stylish friend who favours timeless over trendy gifted me a collection of buttons collected over the years. From the input of my sister and the buttons of my friend, I crocheted Hope Earwarmers, a design by Yarn + Chai.
Links to community, cultural traditions and personal impacts feature highly in the book “Sharp Notions: Essays from the Stitching Life”, edited by Marita Dachsel and Nancy Lee, 2023, Arsenal Pulp Press. These Canadian essays written by a diverse group of makers describe their relationships with fibre arts in contemporary times. Many of the authors recounted how their skill and artistry had been passed down by mothers and grandmothers, who in turn learned from past generations of women.
Hats by Tracy J 