Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

from CBS New, April 6, 2018: Syrian Women Remember 'past before the past' with Art... on display at Moncton Library. srwah-al-hamoud Srwah-al-hamoud shares that "The first time I felt happiness in a long time was when my crocheted multi-colored flowers and pineapples were unveiled at the Moncton Public Library. She called it the 'past before the past' when she used to crochet for fun and relaxation, when crocheting wasn't her way of keeping bad memories of war and loss at bay.'" srwah-al-hamoud Art Therapist, Dominik Robichaud, conceived the idea of the exhibit and says, "I hope art can help women heal from the war they've left behind." Aliaa Obaid-repurposed book pages Follow this link to learn more about these strong women's stories. Photos courtesy Hadeel Ibrahim, CBC.CA

Soul Mate Dolls ~ Dollmaking as a Healing Art Sparked by a recent trip to   American Girl Place (AG)  in Chicago with my granddaughter, Chloe, I’ve moved into “doll mode.”  My own AG doll has lived with me for at least ten years and I possess life-long love dolls! The joy of crocheting fashions in miniature, made it necessary to have someone to wear the fruits of my labor. My granddaughter, Chloe, has enjoyed playing with my doll when she visits; and now, as she approaches the age of five influenced by an older friend, she has begun to want her own. Two years ago I put “dibs” on a plan to be the special one to buy her first A G doll since I am the one who loves dolls, unlike my daughters who were never very caught up in doll play. On the calendar for two months, our special “Girls’ Day Out” finally arrived! I tried my best to contain my excitement to an acceptable level. It was a great outing for all of us, including high tea at the store with the newl...

Monday, October 28, 2013 Soon it will be one year that I started my volunteer job as coordinator of a Cancer & Crochet Support group at my local hospital. Today, I want to celebrate the life of one of our members who died last week. Even though Judy was in hospice, she continued work on her goal of making 100 caps for the premature babies at the hospital. She reached and exceeded the goal with 125 hats! During her last ten days of life, she attended a special event hosted by my CGOA chapter in her wheel chair with oxygen; she also came to the support group. She was one strong and determined woman and we will miss her terribly! I've long known the value of crochet as a healing tool and a method of relaxation. I reviewed books that cover this topic beautifully: Crochet Saved My Life and Contemplative Crochet. Recently my friend Rita, an art therapist, came to share with the group. Rita, Art Therapist, leading group This was the group's first attempt at thread croch...