The need to share knowledge and skills.

Why ‘The Craftsteacher’? And why this website?

As a young girl, I learned all kinds of crafts from my grandmothers and my mom. They feeded it to me, like we say in Dutch, with the porridge spoon. At a very young age I wanted to do embroidery, knitting, crochet, and it showed that I had a natural feeling for it.

They feeded it to me, like we say in Dutch, with the porridge spoon.

This also showed when I went to school where I got crafts lessons, from a craftsteacher. Way back then the girls learned things like sewing, knitting, all ‘girly-kind’ of lessons, and the boys learned stuff like working with wood and hammers and nails. We had teachers that were specifically trained to educate this. My wish way back then was also to become a craftsteacher. But life took a different path. My profession at the moment lies in IT, but crafting always played an important part in my life.

Crafting always played an important part in my life.

In the times we had no internet (yes, we once didn’t have that :-)), I gathered my knowledge by reading books and just do it! I think that’s the most important. Just do it! Don’t be afraid, you only learn by doing! And making mistakes increases your insight, a lot of people forget that (me too :-)). Don’t stop too soon with applying new skills. Refinement and regularity in your work comes with repeating over and over. A lot of repeating!
So be friendly and patient with yourself. Just accept the fact that at the start your work may look a little less nice that the example you have in mind. But carry through, and most important: keep the joy in what you’re doing. Because you do this for fun, isn’t it? Well, it should be.
And what a great source of information we have nowadays with the internet. So many people sharing their knowledge and skills by blogging and sharing video’s. I love it!

So be friendly and patient with yourself.

But, why then yet another website with craft techniques? Well, first of all because I just like to share the knowledge I have gained in all these years. I don’t have the time to instruct people at my home or elsewhere, but I do feel the need to share my knowledge. And I think, and that is not to boast about myself, I can explain things clearly. That is what a teacher is supposed to be able to do, isn’t it? And I think I can add just a little more information sometimes, because when I learn something myself, man, I go to the bottom of it to understand it fully.
Secondly, as an IT-person, I think it is just fun to have my own website. I am not a graphical designer, so please forgive me if you think it could look so much better, but I hope my site is easy and clear to get you to the information you want.
So, have joy with this website!

And so I became a craftsteacher after all!