Coronavirus craft groups

We interact differently now. We do almost everything differently now. This includes how we make and for what purpose. 

We’ve been in lockdown, or a variation of it, in the UK since March and for many makers this has presented an opportunity to use up their stash (of fabric, yarn, other materials) and finish forgotten projects. For others the opportunity has been in stocking up, showing support for local or independent retailers who are still trading online. The mental and emotional benefits of making are becoming more important for many makers, rather than the product or process focus they may have had before. 

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The knitting and crochet group I run usually meet in person on the first Saturday of the month. During the coronavirus pandemic we’ve been meeting online via Zoom instead and this has been a learning curve for everyone involved. Once you get past the initial hurdles of setting up the call, sharing the details and participants successfully joining, you still need to figure out how to interact with each other. This is a group of people who know each other, who are quite happy talking about anything from craft to corruption and yet we need to re-learn how to communicate. Making while on the call presents further challenges, as you’re not necessarily watching for the visual cues of when to speak. The first part of the call is a bit awkward as we all settle in, although soon, without realising, we’re chatting and making like we usually do in person. Any new attendees are also participating like they’ve always been part of the group. It’s comfortable. Reassuring. 

Instead of our tutorial style sessions, it’s intentionally kept informal and chatty. The topics of conversation are different now. We still cover the usual craft topics, raising queries we’d like help with, sharing recent finished items, asking where someone got this or that. We talk about how we’ve been filling our days, sharing favourite podcasts, new TV shows we’ve discovered (or those to avoid), the wildlife that is becoming more abundant in our urban spaces. Then the topics become more serious. I’m worried about my parents. I feel anxious going to the shop. What do you do when people don’t adhere to the social distancing guidelines when you’re in public? The discussion covers things people are struggling with, future worries they’re concerned about and acts of kindness. Using our hands to make and having something to focus on while we’re talking gives us a different focal point, not having to look people in the eye as we share our concerns and offer advice and consolation. 

An advantage of meeting like this is that it is inclusive. Everyone who wants to can join. During this time we’ve had attendees who are pregnant, recovering from major surgery, living alone, shielding for health reasons or age. People who are isolated in their own homes can enjoy a social connection with like-minded makers, bringing something of their ‘before-coronavirus’ lifestyle with them, joining in with something the old-style of craft group, in some cases, wouldn’t have allowed. 

A version of this article has also appeared in the Textile Society publication News, in the Knitting & Crochet Guild journal Slipknot, and on the seam textile collective blog. 

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#SeptTextileLove 2020

It’s back for another year! #SeptTextileLove is the Instagram challenge for those who love textiles and it starts a week from tomorrow.

The full list of prompts will be shared on the seam blog on 31 August, ready for people to respond to from 1 September. If you like to plan ahead, you can see the prompts a week early by subscribing to the seam newsletter. The full list of prompts is shared with seam newsletter subscribers as an exclusive preview so they can get a bit of a head start (and there’s a #SeptTextileLove planner for subscribers to download too).

Who’s it for?

Anyone who creates or loves textiles can be part of #SeptTextileLove. It doesn’t matter if you’ve just started experimenting with textiles in lockdown, whether that’s as a hobby you’ve always been curious about, as an antidote to boredom or for your own wellbeing, or if you are a textile professional, it doesn’t even matter where in the world you are based; everyone is welcome to take part in the conversation.

How does it work?

For each of the 30 days of September there is a different textile-related prompt for you to interpret on your Instagram feed. You can respond to as many of the prompts as you wish, this could be only a few or it may be all of them. The only requirement is that you include the hashtag #SeptTextileLove so seam, and everyone else involved, can find, like, comment on and share your posts!

What next?

Follow the seam blog to ensure you receive the prompts on 31 August, ready to start in September.

If you’d like to start thinking about the prompts ahead of the challenge and prepare a few responses, subscribe to the seam newsletter and you’ll receive the full list of prompts one week before they’re publicly released. You’ll also receive the link to download the prompt planner too.

During the challenge, follow the hashtag #SeptTextileLove to find and be inspired by posts from the other participants.

5 ways to get your craft fix during self-isolation

We took the decision to cancel Saturday’s session of the Bath Knitting & Crochet Guild to keep our attendees safe and healthy amid the current coronavirus pandemic.

Whether you’re self-isolating or just a bit dubious about being out and about in the world at the moment, there’s no need to miss out on your craft fix. Here I’ve gathered together five ways to keep boredom at bay and enjoy your craft.

1. Learn

If you don’t know how to knit or crochet yet, this is the perfect time to learn. The Knitting & Crochet Guild have excellent resources on their website and there are many many video tutorials over on YouTube.

• Learn to knit
• Learn to crochet

If you already know the basics, this is a great opportunity to practice a new technique you’ve been meaning to learn. Again, YouTube is good for video tutorials and Purl Soho has a huge selection of free patterns available to put your new skill to use.

I’m sure that most regular crafters have a yarn stash that would see them through months, if not years, of making in an end-of-the-world/zombie-apocalypse/Armageddon situation. However, if you are short of supplies or are new to the craft and need to set yourself up, you can still get what you need without stepping outside. One of our local yarns stores, A Yarn Story, provide a lovely online shopping experience, or you could opt for a solely online retailer like Love Crafts.

2. finish

This one is for those of us who have a pile of WIPs… things you’ve been meaning to finish but the lure of casting on with that squishy new wool is too great. Here’s your chance to work through the ‘almost-finished’ pile and turn it into a ‘ready-to-wear’ pile.

3. listen

This is a great option whether you’re at home alone or with others. Listening to podcasts about craft helps to feel like you’re part of a conversation (wonderful if you’re tired of talking to yourself) and equally brilliant if you’re home with others who might inhibit your ability to sit and make (parents with young children, I’m thinking of you – my one-year-old loves to ‘help’ and the ball of wool usually ends up in a Mensa-level tangle).

A few of my favourites are listed below. The beauty of podcasts is that you can usually access the full back catalogue once you’ve settled on one you like.

• Wool Work. This is the podcast from Louise Scollay, previously called KnitBritish. Join Louise on her journey of woolly discovery celebrating the unique characteristics of local wool, from sheep to skein, to finished object.
• Yarn in the City. Allison and Rachel are the team behind the Great London Yarn Crawl, Yarnporium and their own weekly Stitch Night. No longer producing new episodes, although still a great listen with a large back catalogue.
• Electric Sheep. One of the first knitting podcasts I came across. I listened to the back catalogue during the wee small hours while completing my MA. No longer producing new episodes.
• Material Matters with Grant Gibson. In-depth interviews with a variety of designers, makers and artists about their relationship with a particular material or technique.

4. watch

There are a number of yarn and making documentaries and short films available to view.

• Swatched. A docu-series that challenges every stereotype that comes to mind when you hear the words, ‘knit and crochet’. This proof-of-concept pilot features fibre arts designer, Angela Tong, based in New Jersey.
• YARN. Meet the artists who are redefining the tradition of knit and crochet, bringing yarn out of the house and into the world.
• Baa Baa Land. A contemplative epic and eight-hour slow-motion movie, entirely starring sheep. Plot summary: sheep standing in a field.
• She Shears. The inspiring story of the passion, purpose, and determination of five women for whom shearing is more than just a job. Available to stream from amazon prime for £5.49.

TED Talks are great to watch and are usually about 20 minutes in length. You can search for individual speeches or find playlists on a topic of interest.

• Handywoman: Making a Creative Life. Forced to abandon her academic career, Kate Davies turned her hand to something completely different, establishing a small business producing designs for handknitters.
• Talks for the fibre arts lover. This is a playlist of six talks on knitting and crochet.
• Maths, coral and crochet. This is an article rather than a talk, but the images are lovely and I just had to include it (one of the talks in the link above is about this project).

5. connect

If you’re still craving some real time responses to your craft conversations and chat this one’s for you; maybe you want to share something you’ve finished or have a question about a technique you’re trying to master. Luckily the internet makes it very easy to connect with makers around the world from the comfort of our own homes.

• Ravelry. The social media network for knitters, crocheters and other crafters. You’ll be able to connect with individuals, groups, designers, people who listen to the same podcasts or read the same magazines… the list really is endless. If you’d like to join a knit- or crochet-a-long to make something in tandem with other makers, there’s even a thread for that!
• Facebook. There are many specific groups on Facebook for craft chat. The Knitting & Crochet Guild group is a great one to start with.
• Instagram. Re-connect with makers and designers or search out new ones with the hashtags #crochetaddict, #knittersofinstagram, #knittersoftheworld, #crocheteveryday, etc. Also of interest on Instagram, the Knitting & Crochet Guild is showcasing its top 100 objects in an online exhibition. View the objects and follow the countdown from @kcguild or use the hashtag #kcg100.

Of course there are many other ways to keep yourself entertained with your craft, these are but a few ideas to get you started and perhaps point you in a new direction. I also love a good knitting blog or newsletter and subscribe to Selvedge and embroidery magazine (both have great articles on many textile disciplines), so I’m never short of something to be going on with!

The reality for most of us as schools and colleges are closed, as we’re asked to or forced to work from home, as holidays and other trips are cancelled is that boredom and worry will be the more imminent problems to manage. Being in close quarters with those we live with for longer each day, possibly for weeks or even months at a time, will bring mental health challenges and having an outlet and a way to focus on something and connect with others will be very important.

It would be great to hear how you’re getting your craft fix during this time to beat any boredom.