[Nfb-krafters-korner] Please

Tue Aug 3 11:08:59 UTC 2010

Terrence,

If it was, I'm so glad it brought you to us!

Susan R.
dogwoodfarm at verizon.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Terrence van Ettinger" <terrencevane at gmail.com>
To: "List for blind crafters and artists" <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2010 4:45 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Please

> Actually, I think this was the article that brought me in; I recognize 
> some of the text from reading it.  I didn't see it in the Ziegler itself 
> though; I think it was a reprint somewhere.
>
> Terrence
>
> Twitter: www.twitter.com/terrencevane
> Kingdoms Live Code: bgc5a6
>
> On Aug 2, 2010, at 3:48 AM, Blindhands at aol.com wrote:
>
>> Our friend Susan has been writing for the Matilda Ziegler Magazine and I
>> wanted to share with you an article she recently wrote.  It appeared in 
>> the
>> magazine just a couple of weeks ago.  Thank you Susan.
>>
>>
>> Hands On Living: Blind Crafting for Everyone
>> By Susan Roe
>> I have been an avid crafter both before and after I lost my sight over
>> thirty-two years ago.  There is  nothing I love more than working on a 
>> project
>> and actually seeing it through to  completion.  Whether I sell an item,
>> give it to someone or donate it to a charity, I always have the 
>> satisfaction
>> knowing that there will be someone somewhere who will appreciate owning 
>> what
>> I  do best.
>> There have been quite a few people who have either encouraged my crafting
>> or have taught me different skills.  My mother, Katherine, first taught 
>> me
>> to crochet when I was eight years  old.  She showed me how to crochet 
>> granny
>> squares in matching or contrasting colors.  We would then sew them 
>> together
>> to make  warm afghans for our beds.  She  didn’t stop with crocheting and
>> soon taught my sister and I to quilt by hand, as  well as how to use a 
>> sewing
>> machine.  When we were small children, she made handmade Hobby Holly 
>> dolls
>> and sold  them to make extra money for our Christmas.  Later on, she 
>> tried
>> her hand at the  cutest little clothes for Cabbage Patch dolls and they 
>> were
>> even more  popular.
>> Not too long before I lost my sight, I had just discovered a talent for
>> drawing.  My sister Pattie  encouraged me to start taking art classes in
>> school like she did.  She was a wonderful artist herself,  starting with 
>> drawing
>> and painting.  When Pattie began having vision problems of her own, she
>> switched to  woodcarving.  No surprise to us, she  excelled in that craft 
>> as
>> well.  Pattie had just started showing me some basics of oil painting 
>> when I
>> lost my sight at age fifteen.
>> I have never allowed my blindness to be a hindrance in my day to day
>> living and that included my current crafts and learning new ones along 
>> the  way.
>> Pauline, a family friend, took  the time to teach me how to knit and it 
>> has
>> been my favorite ever since.  She also introduced my family to liquid
>> embroidery, making Christmas ornaments with beads and sequins and latch 
>> hooking
>> rugs.  From school I learned to work  with clay, coil and reed basket
>> weaving and tapestry weaving using colored  burlap.  I even managed to 
>> take a
>> class on using the potter’s wheel while attending my local community 
>> college.
>> Luckily, I stopped myself  from adding a potter’s wheel to my small one
>> bedroom apartment before I started  rearranging the furniture.
>> Believe it or not, my crafting curiosity still was not satisfied.  Pattie
>> and I took ceramic classes,  enjoyed working with beads, making hats and
>> scarves on circular and rectangular  lap looms, and successfully figured 
>> out how
>> to crohook.  When I attended our local Rehabilitation  Center for the 
>> Blind
>> one summer, they showed me how to set up my sewing machine  to make it
>> easier to use.  I have  heard that curiosity killed the cat, however, it 
>> only
>> expanded my thirst for  crafting to collecting the tools of the trade 
>> along
>> with many books and  magazines covering even more crafts.  I could 
>> definitely
>> open my own crafting store.
>> My mother-in-law, Anna Roe, was someone else who loved crafting.  She 
>> loved
>> knitting, crocheting and  plastic canvas work.  To her credit,  she also
>> passed on crafting to her children as well.  Matt likes to draw and 
>> paint,
>> wood  working and Native American leather working.  I suppose Anna also 
>> passed
>> on to Matt  some of her patience, because he does tolerate my boxes of 
>> yarn
>> and shelves of  crafting books.  In fact, he doesn’t  even get ancy while 
>> we
>> are in a craft store.  Matt is really good at ferreting out all  kinds of
>> hidden crafting treasures.
>> On a sad note, when Anna passed away, Matt and his family asked if there
>> was anything of her’s that I would like to have in remembrance.  I didn’t
>> hesitate and asked for anything  dealing with her knitting and 
>> crocheting.
>> Well, my ever-growing craft stuff was increased by four large  boxes.
>> With all of my accumulated crafting energy and supplies, I needed an
>> outlet for my items because I just couldn’t keep it all.  I sell a few 
>> items here
>> and there as  well as making items for friends and family.  My biggest 
>> joy
>> is knitting and  crocheting for the Webb of Hope, a charity group that is
>> run through the Red  Cross.  A local group of women get  together here at
>> Black Creek Baptist Church and meet once a week.  They share patterns, 
>> discuss
>> items being  made and who the organization will be sending them to, both 
>> in
>> the United States  and several countries over seas.  The women also 
>> provide
>> lessons for those who want to learn and  participate with them as well as
>> providing yarn so it doesn’t have to cost you  anything.
>> Over the years, I have done searches on the Internet and have found
>> several on-line crafting groups, and several of them have been for blind
>> crafters.  I had to narrow my  participation down to only one blind 
>> crafting group
>> or I would never tare myself  away from the computer.  This group  works
>> together from the Krafters Korner.  The group is filled with some of the 
>> most
>> talented crafters I have ever  known.  Everyone is either blind, 
>> low-vision,
>> or works with the blind.  The Krafters Korner also provides lessons to 
>> its
>> members via conference  calls and everyone works at the project together.
>> All classes are recorded for the  students that attend each class and are
>> provided as downloadable MP3 files for  easy reference at a later date. 
>> Some of
>> the classes have been beginning and advanced knitting, beginning  and
>> advanced bead working, soap making, origami, plastic canvas work, small 
>> loom
>> weaving and even tips for finding the best tool for the job, to only name 
>> a
>> few.  They are even working on  knitted and crocheted helmet liners for 
>> our
>> soldiers over seas as a community  charity project.
>> I have even taught two classes myself, coil basket weaving and paper
>> basket weaving which seemed to be a success with those who attended.  I 
>> have only
>> taken one class, which was a  beading class for making your own Rosary.
>> The teacher even gave a brief history on the different styles of Rosaries
>> through the years.  All classes are  open to members once you have paid 
>> your
>> $10.00 membership dues.  Krafters Korner also has a weekly Monday  Night 
>> Chat
>> which runs from 8:00 Eastern Time to about 9:30 via the conference  line.
>> This gives everyone an  opportunity to talk to someone about their crafts 
>> and
>> exchange information as  well.  Members also have the  opportunity to get
>> help with problems they may be experiencing with a project in  order to 
>> work
>> through it instead of getting frustrated enough to set it aside,  never 
>> to
>> be picked up again.
>> I have found that many members take their projects quite seriously and
>> even attend numerous crafting shows as venders or sell their wares at 
>> Farmers
>> Markets.  There are those who have  been blind and crafting for several
>> years, or they find themselves wanting to  learn to craft.  Also, there 
>> are
>> those who have been sighted crafters for years and recently lost their 
>> sight
>> and  now want to find ways to continue crafting.  It is really nice when 
>> a
>> member seeks  encouragement with continuing a craft after losing their 
>> sight
>> and seeing the  eager responses from other members sharing and explaining 
>> how
>> they have managed  to continue that very craft.  All of  this and more 
>> can
>> be found at the Krafters Korner.  They have even had guest speakers on 
>> blind
>> wood working so they can explain how they manage their wood working craft
>> with no sight.
>> Joyce Kane is the group moderator and President of the National 
>> Federation
>> of
>> the Blind Krafters Division.  She has been an avid blind crafter for many
>> years and is always available  to assist members as well as eager to 
>> learn
>> new crafts and techniques from  others in the group.  You can call  Joyce 
>> for
>> more information at (203) 378-8928 or via e-mail at _Blindhands at AOL.com_
>> (mailto:Blindhands at AOL.com) .  Please feel free to visit Krafters  Korner 
>> at
>> www.KraftersKorner.org.  Krafters Korner has also recently gone 
>> International,
>> bringing blind  students from around the globe into their classrooms with
>> the use of SKYPE.  Come and join us and see what you can  learn!
>>
>> Joyce  Kane
>> www.KraftersKorner.org  (http://www.krafterskorner.org/)
>> Blindhands at AOL.com
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>
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