I was eleven when I started crocheting a yarn piece into a yellow, lopsided headband. After just a few days of wearing it, the elastic gave up and it became a big mess. But, it was a badge for honor. It is amazing that a simple piece of yarn can be made into something complicated with just a single needle. As a crafter, I’ve always enjoyed it. While my friends were playing, I was creating greeting cards. These cards were made to tell my mom that I enjoyed the green beans she cooked for dinner.
As the years passed, I moved from making greeting cards to crocheting a blanket last summer. This took three months of fifty granny squares. I have been blessed with the ability to work creatively and have had the energy, time, and resources to do so. My family always encourages my creativity, whether it’s knitting a new cape or painting a woman. As I have developed my projects, I realized that crafting useful things is an important part of me. I make things because they are fun. Making things gives me a special connection with my family. I feel connected to my grandmother whenever I use the crochet hook she gave me as a twelve-year-old. I feel creative when I make coasters for my coffee table with the cork that I have left over. Crafting isn’t something I do for fun, it’s something I do when bored. It’s a way to explore my surroundings, find shortcuts and see things in a new way. It allows me to use my brain and hands to create something useful or enjoyable. I do not intend to major in any craft-related field. It’s not what I want to do as a career. It’s a part me that worries about losing my passion for making things, if I have to. It should remain a hobby that I enjoy, it should continue to be something that allows me to relax and feel independent.
I will never stop being crafty. I will always be able to find a box of glitter pen, a needle for crocheting, and a set or paint brushes. Because I wore the yellow headband, I was a girl who created something amazing entirely by myself, I will always be me.
