[Nfb-krafters-korner] Please

Wed Aug 4 01:22:50 UTC 2010

I think this should go up on the website That is, if it's okay with susan 
and the Ziegler.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Blindhands at aol.com>
To: <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2010 6:48 AM
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Please


> 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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