My first crochet hook at the age of eight

I picked up my first crochet hook at the age of eight. We were on a family vacation in the north of England, UK, and I was given the tiny hook and yarn and taught how to crochet in circles. I don’t remember many holidays from when I was young, but this yarn and hook intrigued me: I remember going to a market in South Shields in Tyne and Wear, and I was so proud of my new hook that I bought a special box for my new-found treasure.

Since then I have continued to craft; I love knitting, crochet, weaving, macramé, and everything in between. Crafting is special for me, as from my teenage years I have had anxiety and depression. Crafting takes me away from the darkness that I can experience, and leads me to a special place that is calm, peaceful, and safe. It’s my own little space—it’s magical!

The last time I was in a very dark place, my therapist picked up on the fact that I was crocheting a lot. Every session we talked about what I had made over that past week and we explored how this made me feel. A lot of these sessions were a blur, but what I do remember is how every time I left, her parting message was “keep calm and crochet on”!