Crochet Heals Interview: Ecocrafter The Crafty Therapist
Crochet Heals Interview: Ecocrafter The Crafty Therapist
How crochet helped Janferie heal through the bereavement of losing a baby ...
Last week, I shared excerpts from 6 artists responding to how their art medium changed as a result of health/life challenges. One of the those excerpts was from an interview that I did with Janferie, AKA The Crafty Therapist, several years ago for my monthly column called Crochet Heals that ran in Happily Hooked digital magazine for eight years. I was thinking about that interview and wanted to share it in full with you today. This dates back to September 2019 so her situation or insights may have changed but this is the interview as it was at that time.
Janferie MacKintosh, better known online as The Crafty Therapist, is a complementary therapist, ecocrafter, and a crochet pattern designer living in The Scottish Highlands. She’s also a mom to three boys who reap the benefits of her crafty ways in the form of adorable wearables. Jan learned to crochet as a child, but she came back to the craft after the loss of a baby. Crochet can help people heal through the worst of challenges including bereavement. She shares on her website,
“I found my childhood craft bag with a half-finished baby blanket inside. I was powerfully drawn to finish it and in so doing found crochet to be an outstandingly peaceful, beautiful therapy to help heal my broken heart.”
I’m humbled and honored to be able to interview her about the healing powers of crochet and her experiences with upcycled crafting.
What are your memories of learning to crochet as a child?
I learned to knit before I learned how to crochet. I was about age nine when my mom taught me knitting, and I made many things in quite complex knit stitches. Both my older sister and I would often knit together in the evening, but I often had to shout to mum for help. We both did.
I remember getting wound up and frustrated with a particular pattern: a red bobble jumper that I was trying to make for myself. I had to ask for help so much that I just didn't want to knit afterwards. In fact, my Mum finished the jumper for me. It was shortly after this that she showed me how to crochet granny squares.
I much preferred crochet. It immediately seemed to suit me better. My mom only knew the basics, taught by her mother. She had always preferred knitting, and she never really took to crochet, so she could only give me the starting skills. Still that was enough to get me started and I was able to start a granny square baby blanket.
It’s always so interesting to me how people naturally seem to take to one craft or the other even if they do learn to do and even enjoy doing both. What makes us have these preferences?!
Okay, now we’re going to move into more serious things …
In 2010, you went through the devastating experience of losing a baby. How did you get the idea to begin crocheting again during the bereavement process?
We went through the tragic loss of our baby at 24 weeks gestation. About a month after it happened, I was clearing some baby things out of a cupboard. I happened to come upon my childhood crochet bag. Inside was that half-completed granny square blanket that I’d started as a child. The yarn and a few crochet hooks were in there as well. I took it out and looked at it with my older son, then 2 1/2 years old. He instantly LOVED it and begged me to finish it.
I needed to make it bigger for him. I realized that there wasn’t enough of the original yarn left to do so, which meant I needed to try to match the colors somehow. I tried to do it online but it proved impossible to tell if it was the right match without seeing the yarn in person. So, I needed to go find a yarn shop. This doesn’t sound like a big deal. However, at the time, I was suffering with crippling anxiety. I genuinely believed that I would never be able to go out again on my own.
So, this was actually a HUGE deal, but I really wanted to get that yarn and finish that crochet blanket. It was the first time that I had wanted to do anything at all since the loss of the baby. The motivational power was immense, and it proved to be the start of my passage out of the darkness again. I got help to go look for the yarn at first. However, on my third trip to go get yarn, I did it on my own!
On the 30th of December 2010, just a couple of weeks after finding my wee crochet bag, I made that trip all by myself. I smiled, for the joy I felt was so real, albeit only fleeting. It was there and showed me that I was going to be okay.
What a powerful experience. I am so sorry for your loss.
Do you have any sense of how the act of crocheting itself helped you during this time?
Crochet focused my brain on something tangible and with a clear purpose. Grief is so totally engulfing. Your thoughts run wild all of the time and decision making is impossible. It’s overwhelming. But I was driven to keep my head above water by the love I have of my then sweet little toddler who needed his mummy so much. Crocheting his blanket was the distraction I needed to stop the grief from pulling me under. It guided me through my blackest time.
I had to relearn the basics as I'd forgotten much of it and this in itself was so healing. It came back to me so easily despite the horrendous brain fog I felt all the time. I couldn’t even write a shopping list during this time of grief. And yet, I was able to remember those stitches. It was very empowering.
It’s really amazing how our bodies do retain that muscle memory. What role does crochet play in your life now?
Crochet is part of my daily life. I always have a few projects on the go at any one time. I go with the flow and work on whichever one draws me. I know crochet calms me in a peaceful way, but it also re-focusses my brain in a very short space of time. So, when I am darting from one thing to the next or procrastinating more than usual, I just have to crochet to reset it. It works every time.
Can you share more about how it calms you?
Crochet instantly calms the busy-ness of the brain. I am a busy mum to 3 boys, my home is chaotic and noisy much of the time, but I can sit happily amongst the madness and crochet will help me feel completely calm and peaceful. I often sit for just 5 or 10 minutes to crochet at the most chaotic times to quiet my brain and allow my head to reshuffle the tasks that need to be done. It works so well for me!
If I can't crochet, I will squish a ball of yarn or run my fingers over it for a quick calm fix. I am a touchy-feely person, the feel and smell of fabrics are so emotive for me. I'm sure I'm not alone here.
You’re definitely not alone. The tactile benefits of yarn are researched and also supported by the anecdotal evidence from many many crafters.
Do you prefer simple, repetitive designs or ones that require more focus?
I usually crochet with a purpose, so I need to make a certain thing. This has led me into designing my own patterns as I couldn't often find a pattern to match what was in my head. Looking at what I've made over the last couple of years I would have to say I prefer designs that are different, quirky even. They’re a mix of simple and complex designs.
Does designing your own work offer other benefits?
Designing my own patterns challenges my brain and allows incredible creative expression, something I didn't even know I had several years ago.
I imagine that’s especially satisfying after coming out of brain fog.
Has there ever been a time when crochet didn't help you ... if so, what did you do to get through that?
When my twins were babies, I had very limited crochet time. I was overwhelmed with their constant demands and suffered terribly from the lack of sleep. Both had a milk allergy so they had more difficulties than most babies – and there were two of them! Looking back, I don't know how we got through the first year.
In their second year I suffered from anxiety again and with little time to crochet, still no 'me-time' and feeling too stressed to focus on the relaxation techniques that I know work so well, I went to the doctor. Medication helped me though that crazy stressful period and interestingly drove me to make time to crochet. I would sit on the floor playing with my twins whilst crocheting, and often they wanted a ball of yarn and crochet hook to play too. It was fun and I made them beautiful little Hoodies during this time, so it was productive too.
Sometimes we need something – medication, therapy, whatever it may be – to help get us over the hump of a difficult time in order to return to what we know works for us (such as crochet.) Of course, you probably know this from your work as a natural therapist. Can you explain what it means to be a complementary therapist? What do you do in your work and how can crochet relate to that?
As a Complementary Therapist, I help others to feel better naturally. When people come to me, they tell me all of their problems. It's therapeutic in itself to have an hour to talk or sleep - or a combination of both. I soothe their aches and pains away through massage and reflexology. I help their body to re-balance and fix itself in a peaceful and loving way. I hold their hand when they cry and my heart fills with joy when the problem, they came with is gone.
Crochet is my creative gift that helps me feel wonderful. I think everyone should have something in their life that does that for them. My aim with all my designs is to make someone feel happy. So really crochet is another way of reaching out to help others. Many of my clients know about my crochet and I've designed and made many lovely things for them.
I believe that crochet not only heals individuals but also relationships, communities, and the larger world (in small ways). With that in mind, can you share more about your passion for eco-crafting?
My passion for it came about because I love crafting with my kids but noticed that it could be terribly wasteful. So I do a lot of upcycling in my crafting. I wholeheartedly recommend 'Blue Peter' crafting, where you use whatever rubbish you have, from toilet roll inners, old magazines to bottle tops. If it just entertains the kids or becomes their favorite thing ever, it's worth not throwing it in the bin.
Last year, I started keeping jelly pots to turn them into something. I didn't know what they would become, but they were sturdy little pots filled with promise. I turned them into a rocket light and a fairy house lantern that my children adore. I then did an eco-crafting session with my eldest son's school class and we made these with his classmates. It was an incredible experience. The children (9 and 10-year-olds) were so enthusiastic and bursting with ideas on how they could reuse all kinds of things that often find their way into landfill.
The issue of plastic pollution is on everyone's minds lately and with very good reason, it's a dire situation. We started thinking about what we could do to do our bit to help. Other than recycle everything we can and reduce how much plastic we use, we looked at everyday plastic like food and bread bags and it dawned on me to reuse them. Some plastics work really well turned into 'Plarn', a plastic yarn made from strips of plastic bags looped together. We can knit, crochet and weave with plarn and create outstandingly beautiful and practical things. So, a few experiments later we found bread bags were a sure winner, producing a strong but pliable yarn to crochet with. Of course, it takes time to save enough bread bags to make anything but just a few weeks of saving our own was enough to get a bag started and that was the start of a Community bread bag project. Now local friends, parents, and teachers in our schools are keeping bread bags for me to reuse and turn into sturdy bags and baskets. Hundreds of bags have already been reused and there are hundreds more stashed in my cupboard!
But Plarn isn't for everyone. It's tough to work with and the risk of repetitive strain injury is higher than crocheting with regular yarn, so pacing your work is important. The great news is that most bread bags are now recyclable with carrier bags and they will say on them if they are. But this hasn't been well-publicized so many people are not aware. Many other food packets also now say the same so it's worth checking and keeping a wee stash of them to turn into plarn or to take to the supermarket or recycling facilities.
So, you crochet, and it sounds like you do a variety of other crafts as well with the kids. Do you do any other crafts for yourself?
I also make crystal jewelery and sometimes combine crochet with that as well. I occasionally make wooden suncatchers, too. I go with what I feel creatively. I love to learn new things and discover new talents. For me, working with crystals is deeply spiritual and aligns naturally with the therapies I do. But I think it's the flow of creativity that has the greatest benefit. I think allowing your creativity to flow is really important for everyone no matter what craft or form it takes.
What are some of your very favorite things that you've ever made?
I have quite a list but these are my best favorites of all:
My wee twins wanted their own unique hats (they fight over EVERYTHING!!!) so I asked them to draw whatever they wanted and then I'd crochet it. They both drew their pics (that I can't find anywhere sadly), and I adored them. They were only 3 years old, but boy did they know what they liked. I love these hats purely because they are uniquely theirs, designed by them, but other people just love them too, and that's really sweet. We always get smiles and comments when they wear them.
Image from the original Happily Hooked article in September 2019 My eldest son and I designed a hoodie together a few years ago. It's too small for him now but he still loves it. He wanted a particular character (an obscure one!) from a program that he loved but there were no products or patterns to buy. So, we designed it together, which was really special. I love what we created, and it challenged me to both create a pattern for the hoodie itself and to do the immense embroidery to get the markings right. I am not at all skilled in embroidery, so this was a challenge. This was a one-off design that is completely unique. I have to admit that I don't think I would embark on such a mammoth task again, but it was exactly what he wanted and was such a lovely thing to do with him.
Calendula Flower Fairy: she was my first proper written up pattern design. She was inspired by the summer calendula flower that I adore. I had been making up stories with my eldest about Sunny Meadow, a place filled with healing meadow flowers each with their own little fairy. This expanded into Brambly Wood with Bramble and Berry the fruit fairies and his imagination took off. He went on to create loads more characters with all kinds of adventures for each of them. I have written a few blog posts about some of the characters and hope to continue to do so with my eventual aim of turning all of these incredible beings into crochet form. My eldest, however, has grown out of these stories but my little twins are ready to step into his shoes. Calendula and some of her fairy friends' patterns are available to purchase in my Ravelry store.
I've saved this one to last as it is my epic make that I am so proud of ... my 100% recycled bread bag bag. It's the ultimate feel-good bag. It saved 76 bags from landfill, that, I'm ashamed to say, I was throwing in the bin prior to the 'eureka' moment I had to make the bag. The orange yarn is recycled yarn and its bright color perfectly complements the multi-tones of the bread bags. It’s my favorite bag! It goes everywhere: it's a beach bag, swimming bag, shopping bag and project bag! I have also just completed another for a friend, in an fantastic eco design that allows it to be easily separated back into its component materials to be recycled again when it's no longer useful, I've called this one the Karma Bag. I hope to write these patterns up so I can so that others can make them too. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
It would definitely be wonderful! What a great set of treasures.
One last question to wrap things up. If you could have a craft party and invite five people - living or dead, real or fictional - who would you invite and why?
I would have to invite my Granny, my Mum's Mum. Without her having taught my Mum, I may never have found my love of crochet. She died when I was around 6, but I remember her big personality and fearlessness. The stories I've heard about her tell of an amazingly strong woman who didn't take any nonsense.
My other Gran, Dad's Mum. She was an artist, poet/writer, and actress. She and my Granddad ran a local Amateur Dramatics group. She died when I was a baby, but I would love to meet her and chat about her talents and quirky sense of humor that shows in her writing and in the stories my Dad tells of her. She was also a strong individual who was known for very much doing her own thing. She was the talk of her wee Highland village, Beauly, for wearing ... gasp ... capri pants! What a rebel - that really would've taken some guts back in the 1920s!
My Mum, of course. She is the number one admirer of all my creations and makes me feel great about everything I make. She won't take any credit, but I remind her regularly that it was she who taught me the skills to get me started and ignited the passion.
My lovely big sisters who are both incredibly talented artistically but have no confidence and cannot see the gifts they have. I am not blessed with the amazing art skills they both have. I am certain our Grandmothers would help them see what they have and show them how to draw upon their unique gifts as they both did in their lives.
That is beautiful. Is there anything else you’d like us to know before we end?
I would just like to offer encouragement to anyone who is suffering, lonely or sad while reading this. Crochet more, wrap yourself in your creations, hug your loved ones and know that the sunshine WILL return. My sunshine came back fully in the autumn of 2011, almost a year after our baby died. I'm forever thankful for the crutch and incredible friend I found in crochet that got me through that year and through challenging times since.
Thank you for reading Create Me Free where I share all of my deep research into and musings about the complex relationship between art and mental health. While I touch on art as therapy and the benefits of creativity, I really dig into the under-discussed shadow side of how our mental health symptoms can impact our creative process, content, productivity, medium choice, identity and business.
(And I believe that all of us are artists and all face mental health challenges to varying degrees.)
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$100 per year feels like a lot. But it works out to less than $2 per week.
What a lovely article. I love to crochet but struggle to find anything 'worthwhile' to crochet. I find clothes are too big a project and the resulting 'fabric' too thick, and I can't think of anything else that I or others would really use. I have enough shopping bags.