About

This page is supposed to tell you all about who I am and what I do. For a very long time, I wouldn't have known how to fill this section in, because I don't work, I have no children and I certainly don't do any housework! I had to give up work in 2001 because of ill health, and when I got worse, instead of better, I really didn't know who I was. I felt that I had no purpose, because I didn't fit into any of the traditional concepts of "useful member of society".



Slowly over the following years I started to look at things that could fill my empty seeming days. I searched for ways to stimulate my brain and occupy my hands. I started to explore my long denied creativity. I became interested in ways that I could make things that were beautiful but also useful. I really wanted make something that had a purpose. The purpose part of my creativity was very important to me, and that is why I began to explore "crafts". I started to make things, and when I acknowledged to myself that the things that I made had a place in the world, I came to realise that I was somebody. I finally knew that I had a purpose and an identity, I had become The Crafty Cripple.


The identity of The Crafty Cripple became fully fledged when I joined the on line knitting community, Ravelry. I decided on my name because I acknowledge my disability, and refuse to make it more comfortable for able-bodied folk, by calling it something less scary like "differently-abled". I am in constant excrutiating pain, which puts me flat on my back for big chunks of each day. I am doped up to the eyeballs with pain killers, which still don't make it all go away. I am "crippled" by my condition. I chose to put that right out in the front where everyone can see it, because if you met me, you wouldn't know I was ill, because it doesn't show. I wanted to choose a name that reflects the limitations my body has set me, but that also proclaims my ability to create.

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Comments

Spobret
Spobret · Loughborough, England, GB · 3 projects
This is the bestest "about me" section i've ever read in my whole life Happy I too refuse to call myself "differently abled", screw that, i'm very well abled, thankyou very much! Just because i can't get out much, can't walk and only have one hand doesn't make me "differently abled"... it makes me special ;) Peace and love to you, my fellow knackered up cripple!
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Jet H.
Jet H. · Haarlem, North Holland, NL · 108 projects
Hi chrissy, thanks for your kind words of my project etui without sewing ...
I'm making at the moment a wallet and i used the same techniek, i'm edicted too it.LOL I use mine etuis for almost a half year now and they are still okay, use them for my heavy metal and hold tools.
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EVEnl
EVEnl · Leidschenveen, Zuid-Holland, NL · 319 projects
Hiya Chrissy! I've taken a look at your site, you are so talented and creative!
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