Embracing Wabi Sabi through Crochet By Kathryn Vercillo

I first became acquainted  with Kathryn Vercillo when she contacted me for an interview for one of her articles "Crochet Heals", published in the digital crochet magazine, Happily Hooked, my interview was published in 2014.  I was so pleased and surprised to be asked about my story, for someone to convey what I had to say into something that may inspire someone to pick up a crochet hook, learn to crochet, teach others to crochet, heal and be healed in the process was such an honor for me. 
Kathryn is the author of several books and the blogger behind the award winning blog Crochet Concupiscence, one of the leading crochet-only blogs on the web.

---

Today Kathryn talks to us about Wabi Sabi, the Japanese concept of appreciating the imperfections in life.  I believe that if life were perfect, life would be very boring!!

Embracing Wabi Sabi through Crochet
By Kathryn Vercillo

Wabi Sabi is the Japanese concept of appreciating imperfection in life. It has a rich history, ceremonies and cultural meaning that we don’t always grasp in the West, but the basic idea has spread here in ways that can be helpful to each of us. In his book “Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence”, Andrew Juniper concisely writes, “wabi sabi is an aesthetic that finds beauty in things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete”. Here are some ways that this can be applied through crochet to work through our individual struggles with these ideas. These ideas can be used even if you’re just learning how to crochet and only know the basic crochet stitches.

Imperfection in Crochet
While there is nothing wrong with striving for perfection, all too often we use this goal to beat ourselves up when we don't achieve it. Crochet is a great place for setting goals and working towards doing great work but also allowing for some mistakes and errors. It's just yarn, after all. Don’t be afraid to try new things, make errors, re-work a pattern, accept a few mistakes. Sometimes the errors in a crochet item are what make it the most special; you can truly tell that it is made by hand.

Impermanence in Crochet
While we hope that our pieces might last a long time, celebrated by generations after us as we celebrate things made by people before us, we also know that fiber isn't permanent. Items can be changed or used differently over time. We should treat the items that we make as though they are designed to last and yet let go of any expectation that they will be treasured forever. We can use materials, finishing techniques and washing/care that prolong their lifespan but focus on celebrating their beauty as they are in this moment.

When an item has outlived its usefulness, go ahead and change it. I frequently change one item into another by frogging it and reworking it. If something I crocheted is still in good shape, I might gift it or donate it when I'm done with it. If it's in less good shape, it might become a dog blanket or a wash rag. The thing is beautiful in the moment and it can be beautiful in a new way and then it's ultimately okay to let it go.

Impermanence in crochet isn't just about the products we make but also about the process. The way we practice the craft may change. The things that we love about it may alter. Sometimes we lose our cro-jo and later we get it back. This is all okay. Nothing is permanent. That's the beauty of it.

Incompleteness in Crochet
Finally, sometimes we do not finish things, and that is okay; something can be absolutely beautiful even when incomplete. This is hard for many people to understand, particularly if you are someone who grapples with the weight of WIPs and UFOs.
So many people have unfinished crochet projects hanging around and they allow themselves to feel guilty that the work isn't "done". The work is a process. "Done" is just one step of the process. Practice being okay with things being exactly as they are. Subscribe wholly to the idea that things happen in exactly the right time that they need to and crochet is one easy, safe place to practice faith in that belief.
One way to transform your thinking in this area is to put your WIPs where you can see and enjoy them. Instead of stuffing them in a closet or hiding them in a corner that makes you feel bad whenever you glance at it, place them on display. Hang them on the rung of a small ladder. Lay one out on each tabletop in your home. Make them visible and take pride in them, whatever stage they are in. The colors, textures and stitches are beautiful just the way that they are.
Social media is another place where you can change your attitude on WIPs. Fight the urge to say things like "still not finished" or "I have so much to do with these" and instead find something beautiful about each one to comment on when you share photos of unfinished projects. Maybe you'll finish them, and they'll be amazing. Maybe not. What you can start to see is that they are amazing right now.
Wabi Sabi is about appreciating things for what they are, seeing beauty in the imperfections, the impermanence and the incompleteness of whatever is unfolding. Crochet can be a place to honor these ideas in order to improve your relationship with crafting, yourself and the world around you.

This is a guest post by Kathryn Vercillo, blogger at Crochet Concupiscence and author of several books including Crochet Saved My Life and Mandalas for Marinke.  

Connect with Kathryn here!

I would like to take a moment and say thank you to Kathryn for taking the time for this post.  I always enjoy having guests here and Kathryn has been a fabulous guest.  Thank you Kathryn.