I hope you’re having a wonderful fall so far. We have had unseasonably warm temperatures, which has made me happy. Although when it does get cold it’s going to be a shock to our systems.
In my last post I talked about getting back to doing the things that bring me joy. I have been enjoying my time back at the sewing machine, and have picked up my crochet hook again. And today I ordered 3 lbs of alpaca fiber so I can get back to my spinning wheel.
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September was a busy month with weddings (one being my son’s), taking care of my granddaughter on occasion, and taking advantage of some sewing days with the local quilt guild. Plus the yard and house work never ends, no matter what time of year it is.
I have been doing some soul searching and have realized it’s time to stop chasing the shiny objects and just do what I love to do. I came to the conclusion that the internet can be a wonderful thing, and not so wonderful at the same time.
There are so many people trying to get our attention online at any given moment, it’s hard to stay focused on the task at hand. We’ve all been there: check social media, read a blog post, check our email…all the while getting taken down multiple rabbit holes. And in the end, did we get done what we started to? Chances are not.
Which brings me to my realization:
I’ve been wanting to share what I know about various crafts for some time now and have dug into my memory bank and made a list. I surprised myself when I realized just how many different crafts I have tried over the years. Some were a passing phase while others continue to call me regularly. Even when I wasn’t actively pursuing them, I was thinking about the things I’d make.
Being given the opportunity to attend the quilt retreat brought back the excitement I felt when I’d cut up perfectly good fabric just to sew it back together again.
While having a conversation on the phone with my daughter one day not too long ago, she said Little Missy didn’t have a winter hat. So out came the alpaca yarn and a crochet hook. And because I used the wrong hook initially, my daughter and granddaughter now have Mommy-and-Me hats. It was such a good feeling to turn that skein of yarn into something that would keep heads warm. (I think some matching mittens might be in order as well.)
Which brings me to the reason behind creating a community for crafters.
I’ve designed and written crochet and quilt patterns, taught others how to spin their own yarn, taught others how to crochet and quilt, and have dabbled in a variety of crafts over the years. During the learning stages of some of them it would have been great to log into a community where I could ask questions and get help when I was struggling with a stitch or method.

I have now created the community I longed to have.
In my quest for finding a community-based platform without ads (so members wouldn’t get sucked down yet another rabbit hole) I learned about Skool: the platform that lets creators focus on their niche, build their community, and help others solve problems and learn at the same time. The beauty of it is there’s an option to create courses within the platform, which is another plus.
The beauty of the platform is it’s not only designated to crafts; that’s simply my choice for a community. There are thousands of other communities that focus on business, medicine, pets, trading, sports, and the list goes on. I scrolled through the directory and was amazed at how much variety there is.
A lot of the communities focus on earning money online and many charge a monthly fee. The community (The Creative Crafters Circle) I have created is free for members so they can get answers to the craft-related questions they have. It’s in its early stages and it’s my mission to nurture it to its fullest potential.
I love to see what others are creating, help with problems they may be having with a particular craft, and learn from others who know more than I do. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, so lets have some discussions about the crafts that we enjoy.
And because I consider writing a craft, there’s a category for that within the community as well. It’s not what most would consider a traditional craft, but I have found the two go hand in hand; at least for me. I can come up with story/book ideas while I’m crocheting, which is a form of meditation for me. The repetitive motion of the hook and yarn lets my mind wander and new scenes or characters are born.
I invite you to join me if crafting of any type is what you like to do, or if you have ideas for your own community. I’d love to see you there and find out what you enjoy doing; whether it’s knitting, crocheting, weaving, quilting, beading, writing, scrapbooking, cardmaking, spinning (yarn), etc.
Have you heard of Skool before? Let me know in the comments.