Crafting keeps me grounded. It’s a creative outlet for sure, but it is more than that, especially lately. Everyday life already has so many question marks, but Corona has upended so many otherwise reliable consistencies and has left so many people feeling adrift, lost, and depressed. I’m usually a stubborn optimist, but lately, I have had more “shower cries” than I’d like to admit (shower cries are enormously therapeutic; don’t knock it til you try it).
Pre-COVID, I bought a bunch of yarn (like… a BUNCH of yarn…) at a garage sale. I don’t knit…or crochet…I tried weaving once and found it too tedious. But my craft-supply-hoarding-self can’t resist a good deal and I knew I’d find SOMETHING to do with it. Or I could give it as a present to a friend that does knit!
The yarn sat in my craft closet for almost a year, until one night, after a particularly tough day, I tried to distract myself with Pinterest and came across a “wall hanging” (also called, I learned later, “yarn tapestries”). It was gorgeously “boho” and, even better, seemed fairly simple. After all, they were just tying pieces of yarn to sticks (I learned after my first attempt that it was more complicated, of course, but I still preferred it to knitting).
Why I Enjoy Crafting
Soon, I not only had yarn tapestries hanging in every open space in my house, but I also found that the process of making them calmed my scared and confused heart. I found myself more grounded, reminded of simple blessings in my life. I used sticks from my backyard, a space where I spend time in the sun with my dogs. I used a drill to make holes in the sticks, and anytime I use power tools I am reminded that I am physically capable and competent. I sorted through my yarn collection and created palettes of contrasting and complementary colors.
In tying my knots, I felt the different textures of the yarn running through my fingers. This tactile experience was not only satisfying but brought my focus outside of my overwrought brain. And the repetitive process was simple enough to not be tedious but steady enough to keep my thoughts from turning away from me. I have learned that mistakes and poor choices aren’t permanent and sometimes can be happy accidents. And finally, the finished product gave me a sense of accomplishment in a much more immediate way than my usual career pursuits.
It sounds a bit dramatic spelled out like this, but all of these things have been reminders of God’s more simple blessings in my life. In a world full of chaos and hurt, I have a desire to create something I find beautiful, using beautifully created things as inspiration and as a means to create. This is but an echo of the Creator in me, and I am grateful for the tapestry He is weaving (see what I did there?), even though I can’t quite make all of it out yet.
Ashton’s wall hangings are beautiful and she now has so many of them that she’s started an Etsy shop! Check out her beautiful creations and show her some support by clicking here.
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