My daughter is in bed and I could reopen my laptop to start work again, or turn on the television, but instead, I dig out a half-finished scarf that I started two years ago. There’s something satisfying, not only in the total absorption of the clack of my needles, but in the emergence of my creation, as if I’m putting something of beauty and made with love out into a world that feels very troubled.
Turning to crafting is something lots of us are doing more of right now. “As we all have to rapidly adjust to more time at home, we’ve seen a huge number of people seeking out opportunities to use their hands and their minds and be creative,” Natalie Melton, creative director at the Crafts Council, says.
Hobbycraft, the crafting retailer, says it’s seen a surge in traffic to its online “Ideas Hub”, where it has guides and videos for learning crafts such as knitting, crochet and macramé, and Instagram reports that its nearly 3.7 million #crafting posts had increased since lockdown (with #coronacrafting on the rise).
The popular Facebook group Handmade Craft Network…
