THREADSTACK Interview with Crocheter Melissa of That Crafty Broad

"Crochet helps me combat anxiety. It lets me focus on the stitching instead of whatever noise is in my head. I can pull myself out of a funk every time I crochet."

Melissa of That Crafty Broad

Today, we get to know more about

Melissa

of

That Crafty Broad

. She also has an Etsy shop of the same name. By way of introduction Melissa shares:

I am a crafter who loves to crochet and has been crocheting for 23 years. I am also an avid reader with a library of over 1K books. I love to bake/cook and trying new recipes.

Hi Melissa, so happy to have you here today! You said that you’ve been crocheting for 23 years … how did you first learn?

I am a self taught crocheter. I was given the opportunity to learn how to crochet in fashion class in middle school but no one ever taught me how to do so. I learned by myself over the years. I have crocheted dozens of baby blankets for friends and family as well as amigurumi. I have started to create my own patterns that I hope to get pattern tested and then share with others. I hope to start a skillshare for crocheting sometime this year.

Photo from Melissa of That Crafty Broad

That skillshare sounds wonderful.

Amigurumi is one of those things that I can do but I never do.

What is one of your favorite projects ever and why?

I can’t choose a favorite, I don’t think, but I am enjoying creating gnomes with my own patterns. I love gnomes in general, and being able to create them is a nice change.

Do you have a story of a project that went wildly wrong?

I don’t have a project that went wildly wrong, but I do have a blanket that will never be done. It was a Mario blanket with characters from super Mario brothers. All made from granny squares. There are hundreds of squares in a box, never to see the light of day again. It’s the blanket that will never be.

Ah, the endless stitching together of granny squares. You’re definitely not the only person to have one of those boxes.

Photo from Melissa, That Crafty Broad

What is one strong memory that you have related to crafting?

My grandmother used to work at a sewing factory and she created sweaters and aprons for my sisters and I. I still use the apron to this day.

Those items from the past generations are so special. I believe that connection is one of the many ways in which craft heals us.

In what ways has crochet been healing for you?

It helps me combat anxiety. It lets me focus on the stitching instead of whatever noise is in my head. I can pull myself out of a funk every time I crochet.

That’s definitely something I relate to and there’s so much scientific and anecdotal evidence to back it up. I’ve learned a lot talking to people about this over the years.

Craft connects us. In what ways has it connected you to others?

I have made countless projects for friends and their children, it sort of solidified our friendships because each project is personal to them.

Yes! So in a way that same sort of special thing with connecting. Love that.

Photo from Melissa, That Crafty Broad

So, like me, you mostly crochet. Is there a craft - or a technique in crochet - that you would you love to learn and why?

I hope to learn the knitting loom this year. I wanted to learn how to knit but I can’t get both hands to work at the same time. My brain refuses. I hope that the loom will help.

Lol. I eventually learned how to knit but I could never really make my hands work together to purl so I can’t actually make much with needles :)

What craft or technique have you tried and don't really enjoy or haven't tried but really don't want to?

Embroidery. I like it for a while but it never sticks. I am also lukewarm to sewing…it always ends up being a lot of work.

We are cut from the same cloth, so to speak. I love the idea of sewing/embroidery/quilting - especially quilting - but I don’t actually enjoy the process of it.

I love that we’re all so different in craft, though, even though our similarities for the love of it bring us together.

So, thinking about coming together over craft … If you could attend a small craft party (quilting circle, sit and stitch, etc) with a few people - living or dead, real or fictional - who would you choose and why?

Findlay Donovan, Feyre from A Court of Thornes and Roses, Violet Sorrengail, and Hilarie Burton Morgan. Though most of these people are fictional, I think they’re all pretty awesome women and would have so many stories to tell. I would love to hear their adventures.

Women’s adventures make the best stories.

What is something you've written about your craft that you would like for us to read?

Calming The Crazy One Stitch at a Time

What do you call yourself - crafter? artist? maker? creative? knitter/quilter/etc?

Crafter, fiber artist, crocheter.

What are your thoughts on craft as art?

I think craft can be art in many ways. You can create amazing images with yarn like you can with paint. Yarn can be interactive art which tucks another level into it.

Yes, I recently had an interactive piece up at a show for a month and it really does make a whole new level!

Photo from Melissa, That Crafty Broad

What has brought you to the THREADSTACK community?

I am an avid crocheter and love to meet other people who enjoy my type of craft as well as learn new crafts from others.

What do you most hope people will take away from reading your interview?

That crocheting, though it might be an “old lady” activity, it can really help you stay creative and help your mental health. It can open doors for you that you might not even be able to see yet.

YES! I feel like almost no one was talking about this when I first did the research for my book Crochet Saved My Life which came out in 2012 and more and more people are talking about it now but it’s still something many people might not realize.

What’s one of your favorite craft tools?

I love ergonomic crocheting hooks, they are so much more comfortable to use and help me crochet longer.

What is one question you would like to ask the people reading your interview?

What types of crocheting projects are they interested in? What can I show them that they’ve never seen before?

What else would you like to share before we end this interview?

I am always open to pattern testers. I would love to get other people’s opinions on how I can improve my pattern writing game.

Want to be a crochet pattern tester for

Melissa

, make sure to reach out and connect! Have an answer to the question about crocheting projects that interest you? Leave it in the comments. The more we interact with one another, the stronger our craft community becomes.

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