I was reading another blog that a friend of mine introduced me to (although she doesn’t know it..Thanks Rocky) Knit and Tonic. When I first saw the name I thought, “Man, I have to read this just because of the name!” And it did not disappoint. The writer of Knit and Tonic is a knitting pattern designer. She has a few books published with some amazing patterns. I like her writing, she seems to be a “very down to earth, say it like it is” type of person. She brought up a subject that I have thought of quite a bit. Especially since I am considered this type of person. Here’s the link to her blog.
She talks about being what friends call “crafty”. The being called “crafty” is not the part that bothers me. It’s the connotation that comes along with it. Sometimes it’s even the turned up nose when people ask you what you are doing. Yes, I craft. I like to do things with my hands. It calms me, it energizes me, it keeps me skinny because you can’t exactly eat when you have needles or fabric or metal in your hands. It even helps me solve problems. If I’m doing a task that I can’t quite get or figure out. If I take my mind off of it and start say knitting or sewing or even painting, the answer usually comes to the surface. It gives my mind something to do. They say knitting and some crafts in themselves stave off Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a way to keep the brain active, solving problems, doing complex tasks that include using both hands that do different movements at the same time. So call us “crafty” and be jealous when we are still in our right minds and you are telling the same story over and over.
Which brings me to another point. Because people do things with their hands, this does not make them JUST crafty. Would you call Michelangelo crafty? No, he is an artist. Would you call Ralph Lauren or Yves Saint Laurent crafty? No, they are designers. How about Franklin Lloyd Wright? Would you call him a builder? No, he’s an architect. Do you get my point? Someone doesn’t have to be dead or worth a million dollars or even published to be in one of these categories. They just have to work with their hands. We are all artisans, artists, designers, architects. Above all we are all CRAFTY!
Here….you decide for yourself….
Real Octopus Tentacle 
Sea Bowl
Wood Screen 
Knitted Glove Pattern
All of these things are handmade by “crafty” people. Respect the Craft!!!
Later
