Member Story - Girly Girls Crafts

Girly Girls Crafts was kind enough to share her story with us. In knit great?


What kind of art/craft do you do?
I knit. I sew. I felt. I basically love playing with yarn.

How did you get interested in it?
I started out making films. I was a student filmmaker and I was creating a stop-motion animation. I created little cloth dolls that I needed to animate. I wanted them to be realistic so I added yarn hair.
There was so much yarn leftover I thought I'd try to do something with it. I read somewhere that knitting was hard yet a great stress reducer for those lucky enough to get into the habit.
I started out on acrylic, moved on to cotton and made the leap into wool.

How long have you been crafting?
I took up knitting in 2008. But as a little girl my mom tried to teach me crochet. I hated it. It was a frustrating experience. I did hold onto one very important technique, the slipknot. I can make those in my sleep.
Since I started I've been knitting everyday. I knit when I watch tv. Travel. On vacation. I made knitting my compulsion. My hands do all the work so it has become like meditation.

What was your day job and what happened?
I was a full time student at the university and I was a student "Film Producer" for my University's Career Services. Media jobs have weird job titles. I basically produced commercials for Career Services. Casting actors. Writing scripts. Shooting and editing videos.
In the beginning the job was full of creativity and the whole office was really excited about my work. Then the economy tanked. Everyone was on the chopping block. My boss and I had put out the word that I needed an intern to help conduct these commercials.
I trained the intern. And he became my replacement in the following spring. The last two weeks were hard for me. I felt that I gave so much of myself to a job that offered so little in return.
After that I applied everywhere to no avail.

How did you turn a negative to a positive?
For my final semester I took up a few art classes. I was doing an all nighter on a sculptural project and I felt in that moment that I would love to do this for a job.

What effect has it had on you and your art/craft?
The difference between filmmaking and my knitted objects was how I felt upon completion. I never enjoyed screening my films. I always felt like I could have done more. With my knitted pieces I love what I create. I show them off. I come out of my shell.

What would you like to tell others who are going through the same things?
I think when I started making art, filmmaking, I was making them for myself and I was never satisfied. With knitting I started making scarves specifically for my Aunt. She has cancer. She wears those scarves everywhere.
I was so proud of those first knits. What I really loved was how those knits were providing her with comfort.
It really does make a difference when you put yourself aside and start making things for someone else.


Be sure to check out Girly Girls' wonderful knit creations at her Etsy shop!

Girly Girls Crafts