Each week, we will feature a crafter that has been a meaningful contributor to the Giving Artfully community.
This week, we would like to introduce you to Rachel B. Rachel has been a great advocate for Giving Artfully and has made several beautiful items for The Children of Pine Ridge, Precious Preemie Project, The Easter European and Russian Orphanage Project, Mats 4 Morris, Don’t Be Afraid – I Am Here Bears, and Outreach to Appalachia. Thank you Rachel for your time and dedication to these different organizations! Your gifts are impacting many lives.
Feature Crafter: Rachel B (Wisconsin)
How long have you been crafting and what inspired you to start? I learned to crochet from my mom when I was 9 or so. She was very good at many many crafts, and when I was small it seemed to me that knowing how to do those things was just something all women should do, since it was both fun and useful. I taught myself to knit from books, starting at about age 10. It took me a long time to learn, mainly because the books I had were old and it just didn’t make sense. Later I learned that I need photos or videos to master a new technique quickly. I wanted to learn to knit because I was obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie books, and there is a lot of needlework, etc in those books. Mostly I wanted to make socks like they talked about. I’m still trying to master socks, but I can knit a lot of other things! I think a lot of the passion behind my crafting is I am kind of old fashioned, and pretty practical and feminine and in my mind it all sort of goes together.
Favorite type of crafting and some of your favorite projects? I have knitting and crochet projects in progress all the time. I find my hands prefer me to switch back and forth, and it keeps it interesting since sometimes I can get impatient. I enjoy both the process and product of both types of needlework, but I think when I get right down to it I make things to actually have made something. There are days when I prefer crochet more, and days when I prefer knitting. I like the look and feel of knitting best though. Some of my favorite projects are baby things, hats, and bereavement items for moms. The first two are fun and fast. The bereavement items, it’s not that they are a joy to make, it’s that they are so sad but so necessary.
When and why did you start charity crafting? I liked the idea of charity knitting from the time I learned how to knit and crochet, but I didn’t have the ability to do it back then. I donated my first items in the fall of 2010, some hats to a local drive for warm items. I do it because I feel like it is my responsibility to use my abilities to help. I want to make things, but in order for it to feel like it isn’t a waste of time the items need to be good for something. I also want to help people, it’s my nature. Put the two together and it’s a perfect match!
What is your favorite part of charity crafting? That’s hard to say. I love making things, but I also love sending/donating them. The whole process is fun, from choosing a pattern, to trying it, to putting up my project page… I guess my answer to this question is I love all of it!
Wool Vest for For the Children of Pine Ridge
Knitted Mat for Mats 4 Morris
Hat for Outreach to Appalachia