THE MAGIC OF CROCHETING
By Bravine Kayi
Crocheting is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of Yarn, thread or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term croc, which means ‘hook’. Hooks can be made from a variety of materials, such as metal, wood, bamboo, bone or even plastic.
A “DYING TRADITIONAL SKILL” …many people consider crocheting as an activity that is boring and tiring, but I came to realize it is all about Mindset and not believing in yourself on the magic that your hands can create. It’s an art offers important mental health benefits by reducing stress and anxiety through its repetitive and soothing motion. It promotes mindfulness and focus, helping women to stay present and calm their minds. Additionally, crocheting fosters relaxation, battle loneliness, and can even reduce symptoms of depression by providing a creative outlet and a sense of purpose. There is also evidence that crocheting and knitting are effective in maintaining dexterity and cognitive health as we age.
At Back To Basics organization, we empower women using creative art through crocheting of trees and hand warmers to sensitize them and create awareness about our environment as we embark on to a noble cause of climate action for a toxic free planet. The yarn crocheted trees are fixed on T-shirts and bags with a clear message “CULTURE FOR CLIMATE ACTION” as well as our patented trademark “I AM NOT WASTE UNTIL AM WASTED” which our self-explanatory in messaging. The hand warmers are a practical climate change adaptation in a trendy eco-friendly way that resonates with generational understanding of climate action. Tradition meets new generation climate action kind of thing.
You might wonder, why Culture for climate action? It’s because our organization also focuses on environmental stewardship, where one of our objectives is to engage communities in tree planting activities to restore landscapes and create economic opportunities .The reason why we put the hand warmers on the t-shirts is to represent the idea of “I AM NOT WASTE UNTIL AM WASTED, because the yarns used to make the hand warmers are recycled from waste yarns and yarns cannot be waste until they are wasted. The tree represents our contribution to environmental stewardship.
We source the yarns locally, often from tailors specializing in yarns or women who have yarns and no longer use. These waste materials are repurposed to create beautiful designs using t-shirts sourced from the local market.
These t-shirts that serve practical purpose are not only beautiful but also trendy. As Jane Mburu, our project lead, explains. ’’The t-shirts give the multifaceted effect of keeping warm yet beautifully hand made to give a trendy look and loud messaging of integrated approach to environmental stewardship and economic empowerment , reminding communities that everything has a purpose through the 3Rs model – Reuse, Reduce and Recycle – the tshirts with crocheted hands are a simple way of adaption to climate change,while staying eco trendy. I am not Waste Until I am not Waste, is our trade mark that responds to holistic approach towards Health , Environment And Life (HEAL).
Integrating traditional knowledge with modern ideas can go a long way to creating more effective and just solutions to climate change – We as an organization are doing exactly that by demystifying solutions and effecting positive change through basics.
