Have Yarn, Will Travel
So, if there’s one thing you need to know about me it’s this:
I am deeply self-conscious about my appearance.
I have been since I was a girl, and in a lot of ways I still am - even at 30-something-years-old. It’s actually the reason I don’t have many pictures of myself: I never thought I was “pretty enough” to be photogenic.
Sad stories aside, if there’s a second thing you need to know about me, it’s this: three years ago I went on my first solo-adventure to Scotland - and was instantly bitten by the travel-bug!
Now, as of writing this entry, I’m not entirely sure how long these travels will last. It can be expensive getting from one place to another, and I’ve taken a pretty big gamble on myself trying to turn this side-hustle into a livelihood. But one thing I vowed to myself:
Now matter where I go, or when, I will never be without a fashionable wardrobe - or at least a few nice odds-and-ends to take with me…
Let me explain:
The biggest reason I got into sewing in the first place is because I never liked the way I looked. The clothes in the stores never seemed to fit, in both sizing and aesthetic; partly because I was always kind of big-girl to begin with, and partly because I’ve never cared too much about what’s popular or trending.
I thought that if I could adjust, or even make, my own clothes, it would help boost my confidence. Especially because then I would the bragging rights of “made it myself!”
Fast forward many years later, and I started traveling - really traveling - 18 months after my Dad passed away. Without getting too much into it, I really didn't feel like myself in those 18 months before my plane took off.
I was so miserable and heartbroken and overwhelmed my new reality that I didn’t really know what to do.
But during my week in Scotland, everything seemed to come back into focus again - slowly, but surely.
I got to see a part of the world I had only previously dreamed of venturing to; I got to meet so many lovely people, and make such amazing new friends; I was able to challenge myself in a way that once seemed impossible, and came out on the other side of it unscathed - the sun rose again, the world didn’t end, and I was still very much alive.
Traveling abroad was the most enlightening and liberating experience of my life, and really helped me pull myself together again in ways I couldn’t even imagine…
But the first thing I had to do was get there!
To help me overcome the anxiety of traveling overseas on my own, I started making a few little projects to come along with me as a way of giving me some confidence in myself.
And from there, I just never really stopped doing it.
Whether I’ve made something preemptive, in a sort of “theme” for wherever it is I’m going - or I’ve collected some very special material along the way, with plans for crafting later on… this section is all about meeting new people, seeing new places, and expanding horizons.
All through the gaze of handicraft, art, and history.
Come along for the ride!
