Life in lockdown: copious crochet
As a continuation of the work we produced supporting Mental Health Awareness Week, we have decided to publish a weekly blog dedicated to wellness. We’ve asked a few of our staff, volunteers and organisations we work closely with to write a journal post and diary a day in lockdown. These blogs will provide a snapshot of the everyday lives, experiences and wellbeing of our people.
Susanna Hodder
PR Officer
Like many, lockdown has given me the chance to focus on my hobbies and get more creative with projects that take a long time.
For those that know me, they probably have at least one crocheted toy but what many don’t realise is each toy can sometimes take a full day to make. With a balance of work and social activities, many bigger crochet projects had been put on hold. Being furloughed since the start of lockdown, I’ve finally had a chance to get stuck in and begin them…
A lot of dolls/toys have been made which varied from between 4 hours work to 10 hours but the biggest projects were blankets – I’m not sure how I managed making those in the heat!
To start with I made one from a pattern to get the hang of it which soon made me want to get more creative when I mastered it. That mixed with missing the Dockyard, I decided to design and crochet my own Dockyard themed blanket. After choosing the things I missed most (which was difficult to narrow down – apart from the Wagon Stop Pies, that I knew had to make an appearance!) I used graph paper to design the pattern and then get crocheting.
Here’s the final piece – can you guess everything?
My days have also been filled with playing with our neighbours cats. One in particular has taken a liking to our house and now visits everyday to sleep, eat and play (which now, thinking about it, is much of what I do too!)
If lockdown has taught me anything it’s how special it is to see family and friends and spend time with them. I live with my mum and due to medical reasons we are currently shielding. Albeit we both quite enjoy being inside and not doing much, when someone comes to visit it is very special. With this fortunate weather we’ve spent more time in our garden than usual with some lovely socially distanced visits and creating a fairy garden at the bottom of our garden.
Although I’m enjoying relaxing and doing so much crochet I’m running out of room, I’m very much looking forward to having a Wagon Stop Pie in front of the Dockyard’s three Historic Ships – my favourite Dockyard spot!
Find out more about Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust’s initiatives for Mental Health Awareness.
