We = Sherri and Heather. I am Heather, Sherri is my mom. Please forgive me if I ever call her mom in these posts, as I am not used to calling her Sherri.
Crafting is what we love. It really does not matter what kind of crafting it is. Sherri’s passion is crocheting. Her grandmother taught her how to crochet when she was a young girl, 9 years old to be exact. Her grandmother taught her to make a rose with thread. I am amazed. I cannot even imagine learning to do something so intricate at such a young age.
Sherri tried to teach me when I was 16 years old. I was fascinated by her crocheting and I wanted to learn, badly. It was around Christmas time and I thought what better way to learn than to make a stocking for my Dad! Well. I soon found out just how ambitious that was. I grew frustrated with myself because I was not catching on like I had hoped. I know I was being ridiculous and I’m sure sassy to Sherri but she continued to teach me and soon my stocking turned into a medium sized sack. I have no idea how it came to be so far off but it did. I was furious. (And at that age when I was that upset with myself, the feelings came out in tears and sass. Not a good combination.) I ran upstairs to my room and slammed the door. Sherri was not having any of my behavior and that my friends is when I got my last spanking. At 16 years old. We can laugh about it now but I, of course, did not find it funny at the time. I didn’t pick up another crochet needle until I was 24 years old.
Earlier this year, I fell into crafting and my world changed. Suddenly, I was buying paint, yarn, canvas, beads and so on, instead of clothes and purses. And the best part is: I am happy. Crafting provides me with an outlet for my creativity, a way to express myself, to unwind after a long day at work. I find myself daydreaming of new wreaths to make or new paintings to get on canvas. It is an amazing feeling.
Sherri is always and I mean always, crocheting. She amazes me with her designs and the amount of pieces that she can crank out. It seems that every time I see her she has more stock to give me. (I take our photos at my house – that’s another thing all together, they need to get better!) If Sherri could quit her job and crochet all day, I do not doubt that she would. It is her passion, her love and she is spectacular at it. Some of my most treasured items are pieces she has made for me. I do not know how many times I have asked her to make me something that she has never made and just by simply explaining it to her or handing her a photo, she can produce this amazing product that is better than I ever could have imagined. Simply extraordinary.
It was a no brainer for the two of us to combine these passions and make one entity. We love each other, we love our lives as crafters and we love creating new, beautiful handmade items.
This is the good life.
As usual, Heather has given me too much credit and not given herself enough. It’s true that I have crocheted for years (over 50 at this point). My grandmother taught me when I was 9 years old and in the 3rd grade — I spent my recess time crocheting while the other kids played. The very first thing she taught me to make was a full-bloom rose. It was made of crochet THREAD (not yarn) and a number 9 crochet hook. You see these a lot on pillowcases and hand towels from the pre-1960 years.
I loved my grandmother and wanted to do every thing she did. For many years, we crocheted together and shared patterns. I have many of her old crochet pattern books, some as old as 1920. When she died, something in me died as well for a while. Every time I picked up my crocheting, I would dissolve into tears. I didn’t crochet for years. It took a long time for me to realize that my grandmother had given me something of herself…her time, her love of crocheting and her love for me. I wanted to share these gifts. I started crocheting again, making gifts for people. When Heather expressed an interest in learning to crochet, I was ready to pass on the “gift”. (After the disaster of our first attempt, I didn’t think she would ever want to learn again!!)
Heather has her talents as well…she can draw and paint and has a real flair for design! She has made some really stunning pieces of jewelry, combining different elements that I would never have imagined together. She has a streak of creativity that I am pleased to see emerging and blossoming. She is the one who has encouraged me to express my creative side through my crocheting. Without her “push” I would never have attempted to sell any of my work. She is the mastermind…she is truly something else!!
Wow! Heather and Sherri…I’m so proud of you both for venturing out there into the unknown. It’s the only thing that’s ever made me happy! Lots of love and success to you!
Thank you, Jill! I just say this quote today and it is definitely timely:
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~ John Wooden
Sometimes, we all need a reminder…
Best to you,
Sherri
Sorry…SAW, not say!