Colours of Joy, How Crafting Became My Escape

Hey, fellow craft enthusiasts! I thought I would share a little about how knitting and crochet, and dyeing of course!, transformed my life and boosted my mental well-being. In a world filled with chaos and stress, these crafts became my sanctuary, offering a creative outlet. So, grab your favourite yarn and a cuppa and settle in.

Life as a busy mum with kids facing chronic health conditions can be overwhelming and emotionally draining. Balancing medical appointments, caregiving responsibilities, and everyday tasks often leaves little to no time for self-care… I mean there are days I’m lucky if i’ve dragged a brush through my hair let alone anything else.. However, amidst the chaos, I discovered a lifeline in crafting. Knitting and crochet became my cherished "me time" oasis, providing a much-needed escape from the challenges life threw at us. That sounds a bit dramatic but its true! Those moments could be as little as 10 minutes, a few rows here or there, but they were ‘mine’. Crafting became more than just a hobby; it became my lifeline, it gave me something that was mine, that wasn’t just ‘Mum’

Picture this: I'm cozied up in my favourite spot, needles or hook in hand, and a colourful ball of yarn ready to become something - our maybe it wasn’t, maybe just the rhythm of the stitches is enough. I sometimes joke that I’m a process knitter not a product knitter, but it’s true. I get as much joy from just knitting as I do if I finish the project. Thats my excuse for the multiple project bags of unfinished projects and I’m sticking to it! 

I think its fair to say that our life is a tad more chaotic than most, those of you who have followed any part of the FTLOY journey will know this, having kids with additional needs is one of the true pleasures in my life and I wholeheartedly mean that, but I won’t lie its also extremely hard work. The gazzilion hospital appointments, therapy sessions, meeting at school you name it there is always something. Often my day can be going seemingly well and I foolishly think “oh todays a good day”, thats normally when the universe says “eh no Lisa, here’s a curveball” and I have to dash off to the school to calm a meltdown, or retrieve a child who needs to go to hospital to have bloods checked because their colour has turned that scary shade of grey yellow we dread. There is always something… it never ends. But in amongst all of this there are stolen moments of zen, yes yes I know it’s a bit whoo whoo but it’s true. I take a project bag everywhere I go. I’m the embarrassing mum who’s walking down the corridors of Glasgow children hospital knitting as we walk from X-ray to clinic, then back up to the ward for our infusions. Hospital days a long, and I’m known as “the knitting mum” by some of our beloved nurses (I mean they know my name but I’ll take that nickname any day)

Crafting saved my sanity, having kids with complex needs however small they might be is scary as a Mum, and although there are literally hundreds of thousands of parents in the same boat as me it is also extremely isolating and lonely at times. When we were first diagnosed I remember thinking to myself “Can this actually be happening, we must be the only family with this many issues, what did I do wrong, it must be my fault” Thats a blog post for another day and probably not this platform but yes the guilt and loneliness is all consuming, I felt completely alone. Skip forward many years and obviously that wasn’t the case, I had done nothing wrong and we have found our tribe of people in a similar situation and I’m not lonely anymore, but in the beginning it was hard but crafting was there, it was that stolen time that allowed my brain to hush even just for a minute. 

The more I got into knitting and crochet and of course my beloved dyeing, the more the world opened up to this hidden world of amazing humans - the knitting community is like no other! I've joined knit n natters, attended craft workshops, and connected with fellow crafters who share my passion. These connections have enriched my life in countless ways. I can’t even explain it because it almost seems too good to be true. I have never met a group of people more willing to jump in and help people, the Facebook groups are buzzing with people offering help and advice for anyone with questions or struggles. Its almost like a small phenomenon and I appreciate thats a hefty word to throw around but it really is very unique. I mean yes there can be the odd crossed word, or someone gets on their soap box but generally on the whole its a truly lovely community to be a part of. Sharing stories, learning from each other, and supporting one another has created a sense of belonging and camaraderie. It's a network of friends who understand the joy and therapeutic benefits that crafting brings.

I could expand on this and talk for hours, maybe there is a book in me thats trying to get out who knows but I’ll leave you with this…My journey with knitting, crochet and dyeing has been transformative. These crafts have become an integral part of my self-care routine, offering me solace, creativity, and a sense of purpose. Through the gentle art of stitching, I've rediscovered who ‘Lisa’ is and a means of navigating the ups and downs of life. If you're seeking a way to enhance your mental well-being, I wholeheartedly invite you to pick up your needles or hook and embark on your own crafting adventure. 

Allow the magic of yarn to transform your world, gain a friendship circle of people world wide, one stitch at a time. Happy crafting, my friends!

Love Lisa xx