spinstercraft

I have a notice above my sofa, torn out of a free paper Mon Geek got from the comic shop, that says "GET EXCITED AND MAKE THINGS." It's testament to my two favourite hobbies; writing (naturellement) and crafting. Crafting, particularly, has filled a massive gap in my life since I took it up in 2005 in celebration of my goddaughter's imminent arrival. Before I learnt to knit and crochet, I used to read constantly - while eating, travelling, walking round the house, watching TV, all the time. This could be problematic, in terms of concentrating on something else, although despite years of maternal warnings, I never did fall down the stairs because of it.
Crafting simplified a lot. No longer did I need to carry a triple-decker novels around with me all the time (not only did I read constantly, I also read very fast). Instead, some yarn with a couple of needles or a hook would entertain me no matter how many hours a train would be unaccountably delayed, leaving me marooned among dozens of Closer readers shouting into their mobile phones. And at the end of it, you've made something; something that can be used, whether it's a wearable garment or a patterned dishcloth. There's an actual outcome. While no matter how many evenings you spend watching the TV or messing about on Bejeweled Blitz, an actual outcome may still elude you. Think about that the next time you realise you've lost three hours looking at that iPod app to see how you'd look with different hair.