Beyond Fast Fashion: Embracing Slow Craft in a Consumerist World

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In a world dominated by mass production and instant gratification, the idea of slow fashion and slow craft can feel overwhelming, even impossible. We're constantly bombarded with affordable, readily available items from retail giants like Amazon, Temu, and AliExpress, giving rise to the disheartening, yet somewhat true, notion that our individual choices have little impact. Still, embracing handmade and slow-made items, even in small ways, is not only feasible but profoundly powerful both for both individuals and the societies they belong to. 

The Reality of Mass Production vs. Individual Impact

Let's be clear: completely replacing every mass-produced item in our lives with handmade alternatives isn't practical, or even desirable, for everyone. There are parallels to be drawn with broader economic movements that, while well-intentioned, face significant feasibility and accessibility hurdles. The sheer scale of global manufacturing means that corporate decisions and profit maximization often drive the ethical dilemmas we see in production, especially when it comes to human rights and environmental issues.

However, that doesn't diminish the importance of individual efforts. While it's true a single person's choices won't move the needle, supporting slow fashion and craft endeavors sends a powerful message. It's a quiet revolution that, piece by piece, stitch by stitch, can make a difference. That being said, it's critical we be careful not to persecute or ridicule individuals for their consumption choices when the larger systemic issues lie with corporate policies. Instead, let's empower each other to make mindful choices when and where we can. 

 

Crafting as an Accessible Act of Slow Living

One of the most accessible ways to incorporate slow craft into your life is through personal hobbies like crochet, other fiber arts, or whatever it is you can find joy and fulfillment in. My own journey into crochet deepened significantly because I integrated it into my daily routine. I started by crocheting during classes and recorded lectures, and now, even after graduating, it’s my go-to activity while watching movies or YouTube.

It takes a little practice to comfortably multitask, but it’s achievable with time and effort. The beauty of this approach is that you gain all the wellness and mental health benefits of crafting, like mindfulness, stress reduction, and a sense of accomplishment without feeling like you're sacrificing "productive" time. In a society that often pushes us towards constant productivity, finding joy and purpose in a "slow" activity can be incredibly liberating.

 

 

Mindful Creation: Beyond the Fidget Toy

Instead of buying a mass-produced fidget toy, why not pick up a hook and some yarn? Crocheting, or any craft that engages your hands, can serve a similar purpose, offering a fidgeting component alongside deeper benefits. You're not just occupying your hands; you're also engaging in a mindful activity that results in a tangible, self-made item.

This has profound emotional impacts. There’s an undeniable pride in holding something you’ve created with your own hands. This sense of ownership and accomplishment can reduce feelings of guilt about "fidgeting" or taking leisure time. Beyond that, it allows you to make gifts with a distinct and personal touch that can't be replicated by mass-produced goods. 

 

 

The Value of Handmade Gifts

This approach extends beautifully to gifting. While gifts with pure monetary value have their place, there's a unique and often more profound emotional impact in receiving a handmade gift. Though it is a privilege not all have to be able to prioritize non-monetary value in gifts, as they are important for the livelihoods of many recipients, it's still a fantastic way to make gifting more affordable for the giver.

Handmade gifts carry a piece of the maker's time, care, and creativity, offering a connection that retail items often lack. It’s an empowering approach that allows us to create meaningful items and combat, in our own small way, industries that can exploit both natural resources and labor.

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Embracing slow craft isn't about perfection or replacing everything overnight. It's about making conscious choices, finding joy in the process of creation, and recognizing the quiet power of individual efforts to build a more mindful, sustainable world. 

What Does It Mean to "Shop Local," and What is Community?

We often see media of whatever kind urging us to "shop local." Of course, we do want to support our neighbors in their business ventures--but what does it actually entail? What does it mean for something, whether a vegetable, yarn, or book, to be "local"?

Per Empire Creative, the Shop Local Movement is "the act of everyday consumers, like you, making the decision to buy your produce, clothing and day to day items from a local business instead of going to a large retailer" (Source). People will participate in this movement for many reasons. Among them, a few stand out: supporting the local economy, gaining familiarity with those you buy from, and a sense of community and belonging. Shopping local is an important way to prevent corporate takeover of businesses that have been, and will be, established within our communities. As such, it is often something very heavily encouraged, often to the extent of full-on boycotts of large corporations like Amazon or Walmart. 

 

Personally, I think shopping locally is a luxury not many people can afford-for many different reasons. The costs of doing so are numerous and often exist in ways we don't think of. There's the obvious financial ones, but beyond that, there's time, effort, and, for many of us, other limitations that prevent us from doing so. This is especially the case when it's a truly small local business, so much so that services like delivery or shipping aren't available. For many, delivery is seen to be as much of a luxury as stopping at a local store. For me, and so many others, it's not. My hEDS and other disabilities are my limiting factor. For others, it can be a myriad of things: kids, inflexible work hours, and so, so much more. 

That being said, shopping "local" doesn't have to mean physically. Supporting your physical community is a great thing to do, especially when it comes to economic issues like local sales taxes or maintaining local markets. However, it's not always accessible, and there's many other ways to make sure you're supporting real individuals. Online, despite what many think, there are expansive communities for everything. The difference between ten minutes and ten hours away can become nothing more than an extra day of shipping. It turns out those people on the other end of a screen are real, too! Another benefit of this type of community is the potential to meet and transact with people who do all kinds of different work. Even if you aren't in a financial position to outright buy goods, you can still participate! I have traded my fiber works for a mini dragon's hoard of trinkets and gifts for every holiday season (since, apparently, there is such a thing as too many crochet plushies).

 

Unfortunately, the process of finding your community can be intimidating. It's completely understandable, but I can promise you: it's worth it. I've been thinking about this for a while and here are some of my top tips for finding an online community (for whatever you're passionate about):

• Facebook
• Tried and true, this platform is still a great way to connect with others about things you care about. Notably, the Groups features are nice, and Marketplace can be a good way to get supplies affordably.
• Yarn Barn of Kansas or The Woolery
• Fiber art specific--these are great resources to find supplies, but also guides for the craft, and most importantly, a community of people with the same passion as you. 
• Do a Quick Google Search!
• Seriously! It's surprising how sometimes events or establishments for even the most niche of hobbies can pop up. Chances are, one of the things you love will have at least some presence in your community--or one nearby.
  

 

The Internet has the potential to do amazing things, and this is one of them. Take advantage of it! Find your people, trade some trinkets, and have fun!

From Pain to Passion: My Beginning as A Fiber Artist

If you've been a follower for a while, it may have come up that I have hEDS (hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome). This is a rare genetic condition that, effectively, means the "glue" holding one's body together is more like a sticky Jello. My version--one of thirteen--does not affect my life expectancy, but others are not so lucky. While this has had a massive and resounding impact on me from day one, I was only diagnosed within the first few months after leaving to college. 

More information about EDS here:

 

Beginning in October of 2021, I began feeling lightheaded and dizzy. My condition quickly worsened, and I ended up getting my diagnosis shortly thereafter. There aren't any treatments for the condition itself, but we were able to address my symptoms, which were actually a result of nutrient deficiency brought on by the condition. However, just before Christmas, I caught a horrible case of food poisoning, which shocked my nervous system into placing me in a state of constant, debilitating pain. I quickly became room-bound and a prime candidate for the RAPS program at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. 

 RAPS Program Info

 

In summary, the program was a unique kind of hell I would not wish on anyone. It was necessary, but it was agony, regardless of how amazingly beneficial it has been to me and many others. What brought me peace during my time there were two things: the weaving involved in the included art therapy, and the wonderful people I met at the Ronald McDonald house I stayed at (whom I will discuss in more depth in a later post). 

The weaving was simple. It used a basic mini frame loom and your standard Red Heart Super Saver yarn. I made mug rugs, and it kept me sane. One of the few things my loved ones could convince me to go out and do was pick out a new small skein of yarn to add to my stash. Inara, my beloved cat, couldn't come with me to the program, and the privilege of taking the loom home to use meant I was able to have something of comfort. 

 

 

 

 

When I finally returned home after the program, weaving was something I knew I wanted to continue. I found out a local fiber non-profit--an endangered species--was in my home city. I quickly signed up for classes and, well, one thing led to another. The lessons and people meshed together perfectly, and I gained a network of supportive individuals who have been huge contributors to my success, passion, and growth as a fiber artist and person.

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Welcome!

 Hello, all! This is my first (of many, hopefully) posts on this website. I suspect it will be home to patterns and whatnot, like other crochet creators' sites, but I also hope to give perspective of who I am. The profound personal impact of my experiences and story is why I began to weave, then crochet, then even spin my own yarn. I've taken courses, but really, I've learned through others and the community that binds us together. The people I've met in my fiber art journey have been truly incredible. With each technique mastered and new aspect of a craft learned, I learned more about myself, too. 

Perhaps this will end up being nothing more than a series of rambles; of stories I unintentionally write to preserve them for myself. The practice of pen on paper has always granted me a sense of clarity and peace that remains unmatched. However, I hope that, as I might receive closure, I can pass on the joy, passion, and technique I have for fibers--maybe even inspiration, too.