Time to pop the cherry on this blog thing...

My name is Ms. Crafty, and I have a problem. A serious problem. I hoard yarn. By the truckload. I dream about lying in a feathery-soft mountain of expensive yarns. I want to swim through my stash, coming up for air every once in a while.

My mom was definitely the O.C. (that's original crafty to you). She knitted, stitched, quilted, and much to my and my sister's disdain, often sewed us matching outfits. (This was worse for my sister than myself, since being younger and smaller she ended up wearing everything twice). She crafted every spare moment she had (and still does). Anyway, suffice it to say that crafting is in my genes.

Now, I've always been crafty. When my sister and I were kids, we'd have a "daily" craft market for my grandmother (who watched us while my mom was working) and my strange aunt. Hours of operation M-F, 2-4pm. We sold small crafts that we made every day. We would sew, paint, draw, collage, anything we could get away with. (And, by the way, our prices were rock bottom and ranged from a nickel to a dollar.) What did we do with this wonderous wealth? Why, we spent it on yet more bizarre craft fads and gizmos, duh.

I've tried it all: Scherenschnitte, painting, drawing, oil pastels, watercolors, graphic design, sewing, collage, cartooning, knitting, crocheting, wire work, soap making, jewelry making...the list goes on and on...

The question is, why? What do I hope to gain from my obsession with handicrafts? I mean, I wouldn't be caught dead at a typical country craft style fair where purveyors of bizarrely cheesy hopelessly happy gingham scarf clad snowmen ornaments are the norm. I don't really hope to sell my crafts...in fact, I'm hoarding the finished goods, too.

I'm hoping this blog will serve as a record of my crafty endeavors, as well as a meditation on all things crafty. Why do I craft? Because I love it. Why do I love it so much? I'm not sure I've got an answer to that just yet.