On pins and needles

When my dear friend visited me from the United States last summer, one of the things she brought me was a huge stack of magazines. Nestling among the glossies, were a few backdated issues of a magazine called Workbasket. They contained a plethora of designs, recipes and crafts of all imaginable kinds. And they brought back heartwarming memories of the days when my mother and aunts would watch us children play in the garden as their nimble fingers clicked away busily at knitting needles or crochet hooks.
The ladies conjured up sweaters for the kids, mufflers for the men, doilies and cushion covers for the house. I remember being fascinated by their dexterity and thus began my introduction to a wonderful skill, which has lasted me so many years and brought me so much joy.

Needlecraft not only offers a way to express one’s creativity, it also makes sure one has something beautiful to show for the time spent labouring over fabric, hooks and needles.

Sewing used to be a popular hobby before television came into our lives. Needlecraft includes cross-stitching, crocheting, embroidery and sewing. It requires concentration and creativity. It not only satisfies the creative urge, it can also lead to the setting up of a profitable home-based business. There’s always the bonus of being able to give special gifts to family and friends, which no store-bought present can match! The best part of indulging one’s passion for needlecraft is that one can stay at home and multi-task without having to battle the traffic, which is the bane of those who go out to work!  

Knitwear includes cardigans, pullovers, boleros, waistcoats and more. Once you learn to knit, there’s really no limit to the patterns and styles you can create. Machine-knit garments are colourful, inexpensive and easy to wash, but they lack the uniqueness and pure wool warmth of hand-knit creations. Hand-knit cardigans, pullovers and boleros are so snug and warm that they have a way of making the wearer feel special! Baby sweaters, booties and caps make cute gifts  when visiting young mothers. While ponchos and waistcoats take time and skill to make, beginners can start on stoles, mittens and caps.

Knitting uses a set of two needles made of plastic or metal. They are labelled according to thickness. Those made in the United Kingdom and India are numbered, while those from the United States are labelled with alphabets.

Crocheting is done with a single hook. The hook is made of either metal or plastic and comes in various sizes labelled with an alphabet or a number. The thickness of the thread used for crocheting should be suitable to the hook size. The fibre from which the thread is made varies from wool, cotton, nylon, silk, plastic wire, jute etc. Tablemats, bags, chair backs, edgings for pillow cases, table cloths and scarves can be made using cotton or rayon blends.

 The adventurous will soon find themselves taking up the challenge of making raggedy Ann and Andy, Scotty, Kitty and Hobbes too!

Soft toys are a big business these days, and guess what, soft toys are easy to make at home. There are lots of useful books and informative websites that provide details about the craft of making stuffed soft toys. Handmade stuffed toys can be endearing gifts.
Stuffed toys can be made from easily available material once you have cut out the patterns.

Cut out the pieces, tack them together, machine the seams leaving an opening and stuff the toy with a suitable fibre such as nylon, cotton or polyester fibrefill.

Foam bits can also be used as stuffing. Stuff it firm and full, taking particular care to stuff corners like feet, tail and ears.

Once the toy is stuffed, you can stitch up the opening securely. Finally, embroider the eyes, nostrils and mouth according to the pattern.

To make the soft toy toddler-proof, appliqué the eyes and mouth instead of using buttons or glass eyes, which can come unglued and find their way into tiny mouths or tummies!

Using leftover dress material or blouse pieces given during festivals and weddings, you can fashion cushions covers, pot holders aprons, thermos covers and more.

Reduce, reuse and recycle, that’s the only way to save the world from all the disposable packaging and plastic waste which collect in heaps and pollute the environment. Cloth bags promote this cause. You can make your own grocery bags using thin but tough material. Make sure the handles are strong enough to hold a kilo or two of vegetables.

On a recent visit to a fruit and vegetable market in Ooty, I found that there is a strict ban being enforced on the use of  plastic bags.  Shopkeepers cheerfully stocked and sold cloth bags to tourists who hadn’t been prudent enough to carry their own shopping bags!

You can add colour and functionality to things in your living room and kitchen by using scraps of material in ingenuous ways. All you need is imagination and skill to work the needle.

Handy things like pot-holders, aprons and tea cosies can be made by folding layers of soft material like wool or cotton, or by recycling castaway items from your wardrobe.
Needlecraft is a stress-buster as it is calming and therapeutic. Try it!