My Maker Journey

 

Hi there,

Today's post is about my journey as a maker and how I nailed down my favorite art forms.

I was a creator from a young age: I made potholders with a little loom, I wove little hearts for the Christmas tree, and I loved papercrafts. I got deep into jewelry of several forms. Every day I was creating in between playing. 

I wish I could say that I can draw, but I am terrible at it; I even took art classes and got so many drawing books, but it never clicked. Instead, anything made with a fiber of any kind was instantly appealing. I learned to knit when I was around 8 or 10 years old, and today I love knitting beautiful accessories and test knitting for makers on Instagram. 

At one point someone told me that I could not knit and crochet, which meant that I absolutely had to learn how to crochet. I bought a book from a craft store and taught myself crochet. As a teenager, I made so much Amigurumi that I had to buy stuffing frequently. One of my best creations was a little Dutch doll I gave to my Oma, which then won awards in county and state fairs. She was a keeper. 

I made the mistake of diving into needle felting and making rugs with the scraps from Pendleton Wool Mills, at which point I was overwhelmed. I went on a little journey after moving out where I narrowed down my passions into manageable knitting and crocheting; I no longer make papercrafts or jewelry. I only own yarn, hooks, needles, and the necessities for those two crafts. This has allowed me to advance my skills in those two areas to the point where I write and test patterns. It's very fulfilling. 

My Instagram is full of my little creations. I sometimes sell my projects, but more often I make them with someone in mind and give them away. I stopped cranking out a lot of hats to sell and instead make a few beautiful things that I love to give away. I am currently torn between trying to turn my hobby into a business or to keep it as what I do as a joy; it is not very easy to keep it as both. 

This picture is my current project. I'm making a little cardigan to wear on days where I don't feel well; having beautiful things to wrap myself in on bad days is a little pick-me-up that brings me joy. It's often these little things that turn a bad day into a day that's okay. Hopefully, I can make up a bunch of these little joys that make all of my days better. 

Blessings,

Jessica