by Allison Brown
Indulge with me, for a moment, a brief bit of time travel as we go back to a Saturday morning in early January. It’s cold, crisp; the sky is just overcast enough that you want to curl up on the couch and start a movie marathon. But instead, you’re packing a tote with enough craft supplies to make an elementary school art teacher gasp in delight, bundling plenty in anticipation of a brisk walk to and from the venue. Why is the hypothetical you doing this, you may ask?
It’s Makerspace Saturday.
Makerspace is a gathering held on the second and fourth Saturdays in the St. John’s Parish Hall, from 10am to 1pm. It’s a casual affair, with attendees dropping in and leaving when’s best, the conversation ebbing and flowing as breezily as a well-honed quartet. Remember that tote you packed? You’re not the only one; attendees walk up with projects as varied as beading, needlepoint, cross-stitch, and watercolor. However, it must be said that there is a strong knitting contingent that sit around the crafting tables and curled into comfy chairs.
Makerspace regular Sarah Stengle articulates the why of the high volume of knit and crochet practitioners in the creative group with tender acuity: “It is my belief that knitting is healthy, proven to improve cognitive function and calm the mind, but it is ONLY beneficial after one already knows how. Learning from books and videos can be challenging. I encourage anyone interested in learning to knit to give it a try. Knitting embodies aspects of three out of the five languages of love, time, touch and gift. And people wearing hand knitting – well, they often look and feel warmer and more beloved.”
As your humble author is also an artist who knits, I have to confess that I deeply agree. But Makerspace brings more than garment makers to the table. Members come to this space from other parishes or within the neighborhood, and the projects are as varied as the backgrounds around the table. The commonality in the room (aside from our piping hot mugs of coffee) is how whatever task is in the maker’s hand truly delights them. On this January morning, a member passes around a small zine containing intricate mazes, followed by beaded animals the size of a thumbnail. Another is finishing a crewel-style embroidered pillow that resembles her son’s beloved dog. A third is working away at a sketchbook, conducting a few still life studies in between some catch-up work on the laptop.
Through the thick glass tiles in the Hall, a trickle of tepid winter sunlight feels magnified as it trickles down to the group. A young man sits at the piano, seamlessly shifting genre as he works the keys. Someone wanders in and asks if anyone’s sitting in the chair to your left. You grin, gesture. “You are! It’s warm for you.”
This may be a snapshot of the Makerspace in January, but the beautiful thing about this group is that this could be any of those Saturdays throughout the year. So pick up a hobby – new or old – and come on down. The coffee’s hot, and the chatter lovely. We’re excited to have you.
