Hand's on: Craft culture has a firm grip in Metro Vancouver
Credit to Author: Aleesha Harris| Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2020 21:18:33 +0000
Why aren’t there more crafting kits for adults?
It’s a question Vancouver’s Spring Harrison found herself wondering while searching for hands-on activities for her kids to do at home.
“There were so many fun little crafting kits available for their age group and I wished there were kits available for me as an adult, because the last thing I had time for was planning, sourcing and buying materials/tools for a fun, crafty project,” Harrison says.
“I just wanted to fast forward to that state of creative fulfilment, having made something with my own two hands.”
For Harrison, making things is a form of meditation — a cathartic undertaking that leaves her feeling calmer with a little something to show for it, too.
“The repetition and slowness really drowns out the busy chaos,” she says. “I think a lot of people have the same experience — or really want to.”
With the idea of creating cool crafting kits for adults who want to keep their hands busy, while also making something they’ll want to proudly show off for years to come, Harrison set out to create her company. And Project Weekend was the result.
Spring Harrison of Project Weekend.
The company sells “beautifully curated crafting kits,” beginning with knitting options for hats, scarves, blankets, and more — with plans for punch needling projects and wood carving to come.
“Our goal is to give people all the tools they need for some creative downtime in their lives and to ignite that satisfying feeling of making things by hand,” Harrison says.
“Each kit offers a project that can be finished in a weekend or two — but you decide how much time to put into it.”
Each Project Weekend kit also includes a tag reading “Project Weekend x Me,” which allows the creator to brand their unique piece.
“At the heart of it, Project Weekend is a collaboration between us and you, the maker. We provide the framework but ultimately you put your time, effort and personality into each project from beginning to end, genuinely making something that’s one of a kind,” Harrison says. “That deserves to be celebrated.”
For many makers, the change of pace — think: slow — demanded by detailed crafts such as knitting, weaving and sewing is an ever-increasing draw, especially as time seems to speed faster and faster.
“For me, I was looking for something to slow my life down a bit. I was hungry for quiet and simplicity and concrete accomplishment,” says Heather Munn, an avid knitter from West Vancouver who got into craft while being couch-bound from an injury four years ago.
“Life is pretty fast-paced these days. Taking the time to make something with my hands puts me in touch with my thoughts, with my friends, and with my creativity — and I’m left with something I can wear or use or give as a gift.
“I could go on and on. I love knitting,” she adds. “It’s enriched my life, given me a whole new community, and given me something in middle age that I can be a beginner at — and that’s the best way to stay young at heart, I think.”
Munn says she uses her solo knitting time, when she’s not with one of her two active knitting groups, as an opportunity to catch up on podcasts and audiobooks.
“Now whenever I wear my blue sweater I think of Becoming by Michelle Obama, and the blanket on the back of my couch was knit(ted) while I ‘read’ The Wife by Alafair Burke,” Munn says.
Spool of Thread in Vancouver is a resource for local ‘sewists.’
Lili Nedved and Henry Sinha started Vancouver-based studio Spool of Thread in 2010 after noticing that “sewists” (sewing artists) in the city were lacking an outlet for practice, learning and supplies.
“When we first opened the shop, we had friends that would working on their knitting out in public. It was an easy way for them to connect with other knitters. For sewing, it wasn’t as easy,” Nedved explains.
“When you’re using a sewing machine, you’re often alone working on your project. We wanted to create a space were ‘sewists’ could meet, connect and be creative together.”
Ten years after starting the space, Nedved says it’s as busy as ever, with the owners adding more garment sewing classes to their roster of learning experiences to keep up with demand.
“What draws people to sewing, in particular, is being able to create something that is completely unique to yourself. Whether it’s an afternoon project of creating a set of throw pillows or reusable grocery bag, or bigger things like a new shirt or dress, the end result is always something that you are deeply connected to through the handmade process,” Nedved says. “It’s something that is uniquely yours.”
At Spool and Thread, “sewists” can also discover new patterns and fabrics to make their projects.
“Technology has made it easier for those passionate about sewing and making to join together and support independent product makers and retailers,” Nedved says.
“In our industry, we’ve seen a boom of sewing pattern companies, which has greatly expanded the variety and styles of patterns available. We love carrying these types of patterns in our store, as they are often well designed with great instructions and a high level of detail, making it easier to complete a successful sewing project.”
Sustainability is an increasingly key consideration for many new crafters. It’s something Harrison had front of mind when she started Weekend Project.
“With every item I design, our source goes through a rigorous vetting process for quality and sustainability,” she says.
“The yarn I developed is sourced from a special blend of 65 per cent highland Peruvian wool and 35 per cent superfine Alpaca, which means that it’s 100 per cent renewable and biodegradable.
“I absolutely did not want any synthetics in my yarn, even recycled ones, because ultimately there’s no end-of-life — certainly not in this lifetime — for those materials. Also, this yarn is intended for projects that don’t require any of the performance benefits of synthetics.”
The wool, she says, also comes from non-mulesed sheep and coloured using dyes that comply with textile and safety standards.
The availability of an interesting product, a sustainable consideration and an opportunity to learn are all undoubtedly factors influencing the increasing popularity of crafts. But, so, too, is the way that crafting allows for a new way to network with others — and to be part of a community.
“There definitely seems to be more and more people joining our knitting groups,” Munn, who is a member of a monthly drop-in engagement and another through her local knitting shop.
“When I first started dropping in to my local knit shop there was ample parking and there might be one or two people knitting on the couches in the centre of the store. Now, the parking lot is always full and the couches are first come first serve …
“Also, since I’ve taken up knitting, at least five of my friends have returned to it and my daughter and a few of her friends have taken it up.”
Munn says the groups are made up of individuals who are “vastly different from each other, but equally as enjoyable.”
“The groups are made up mostly of women — although one of the best knitters I know is a man — from all walks of life: grandmothers, teenagers, career women, mothers, women new to the country, etc., all with varying degrees of experience and expertise,” she says.
“It’s a lovely and eclectic group with the passion for knitting in common.”
This seemingly universal appeal circles back to the idea of providing a change of pace, Harrison says.
“People are recognizing that making things by hand encourages us to slow down, recharge, learn something new, and have something tangible to show for it,” she says.
“I also think there’s a desire to be more purposeful with our time, even if it’s just for 15 minutes a day.”
And then, of course, the sense of accomplishment that comes from finishing a project — big or small — is pretty great, too.
“It’s hard to put a price on the thought and care that goes into making something,” Harrison says. “Plus, there’s the pride of saying, ‘I made this!’
“It’s an entirely different experience from buying something.”
If you’re looking for a way to get into crafting, a pre-made kit presents the perfect place to start.
Available in a variety of types, difficulty levels, styles, and prices, kits often offer all the tools and how-to guides needed to master a new project. Thanks to the increasing popularity of handmade crafts, there is pretty much a do-it-yourself option for every interest and knowledge level.
Here are three that caught our eye.
Whether your end goal is a petite piece or a full-on wall tapestry, this mini loom offers a space-saving way to get started on your weaving craft. From the Ontario-based brand Chip And Sparrow, the tiny kit features a birch ply loom (it measures approximately four inches), steel yarn needle and hardwood pickup stick. Yarn not included.
$18 | Etsy.com/ca
If you’re eager to create something that you’ll be proud to wear as soon as you’re done, look no further than this Evermore Hat kit from the Vancouver-based brand Project Weekend. Each kit includes a ball of yarn, a project guidebook, knitter’s sewing needle, stitch marker, organic cotton project bag, and more — all the essentials, and then some. Plus, the company has an online resource library of how-to videos to help guide you through the steps.
$55 | Projectweekendshop.com
If you’re really looking to hone your skill with a detail-oriented craft, you might want to consider cross stitch. A kit like this option from the Manitoba-based brand Wistful Bird is suitable for beginners and features some fun embroideries that you might not find at your everyday craft store. The kit features a full-colour pattern booklet with a link to online how-to instructions, pre-cut DMC embroidery floss, a four-inch embroidery hoop, needle and Aida cloth.
$26 | Etsy.com/ca
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