[Nfb-krafters-korner] Please
Laurie Porter
freespirit1 at tds.net
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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