I enjoyed hearing more about your making, Fran! Your doll parts took me back to the late 80s when there was a trend here for making little clowns with sad faces that sat in a hoop and I was swept into that rather doubtful fashion (!) and made a couple - I found the little limbs very fiddly and did not continue on the doll-making after that, except for a Waldorf doll I made for my eldest daughter when she was 5, with some knitted clothing, and my husband made her a little doll cradle to go with it, this was 1989. The funny thing was that at Christmas, we couldn't really wrap the cradle, so we left it outside the living room door while we celebrated our Christmas Eve around the tree and then said "ooh did you hear that? I think the "Christkind" must just have been, go and have a look if you can catch it..." whereupon she opened the door, stepped OVER the cradle and doll to go and check the corridor and then came back the same way, saying no, she couldn't see anyone...! We were in stitches! But she did later enjoy them lol.
Early morning coffee and crocheting, granny clusters, repetitive and meditative at the same time and watching your beautiful episode… balm to my soul … Your dolls are utterly charming! I wish you all success at this month’s craft fair so that your hopes come true!🌲
As a spinner, I now always use my wool for stuffing my projects. I just finished an English Paper Piecing Pincushion and used the wool to stuff it. Just have to put a button on it and it’s the perfect gift. Love your dolls, didn’t realize all the testing that has to be done. But they are beautiful and I am sure the children that receive them will cherish them.
Oooh that pincushion project sounds so lovely! Do you have IG? If so could you tag me in a photo of it? I’d love to see! As for the toys, yes lots of testing but not a lot of crafters and makers know this, so I’m partly sharing to spread the word 🤍
So lovely to see you here, I love your Christmas shrubbery, the sweet little doll friends and the ethos of all your making. I'm doing a craft show this weekend and am also nervous/excited! I hope it goes well for both of us, but I'm reminding myself that I signed up for it in the first place to give myself an "excuse" to make pretty things, after a time of depression and deep burnout that I'm still working through. The making is the reward, and the show is just a context. Thanks also for being open about the topic of mental health...it's such an important one. You were one of my main inspirations to start my channel (with one, now private video, hahaha) and seeing you back here is inspiring me again to finish a video and post it soon. Looking forward to more. x
Hello there! Thanks so much for your message. Firstly, good luck at the craft show! Do let me know how you get on, I’ll be thinking of you! I’m so glad you’ve found comfort from making as you travel through harder moments - making is such a solace to me too, even when I’m too poorly to actually make anything, it’s comforting to have things I’ve already made around me. And finally, hope you’ll go ahead with your channel! It’s hard to « put yourself out there » (I hate hearing my voice when I edit!) but it’s such a positive activity and thing to do! Warm wishes to you!
@woollenhearted Ah, thanks for such a sweet and detailed reply! I didn't expect that. 🥰 and yes, my voice (and face!) are a hurdle, but I think one worth getting over for the community and the "container" it might give my making! I always do better with a reason/excuse to prioritise creative time. Without one, it's sometimes hard to make it a priority. Thanks again and lots of love!
I love my teddy bears and the comfort they bring me. Crafting is so important for our mental health and I’d love to be able to make my own bear one day. I think your dolls are beautiful and hope they go down well at the craft market ❤
Oh I do hope you’ll able to make one one day! Making is such a solace for me, but especially when it’s a bear! (Although these days dolls are coming up a close second!)
I love your dolls! Very inspiring; I would love to try sometime. I love knitting toys for my kids. My 8-year old especially loves for me to make him toys- he will draw something or come up with an idea and I do my best to knit it into reality. We both find that so fun.
Oh what a beautiful way to make toys together! That’s such a wonderful experience I’m sure! My eldest would like me to show him how to make his own pocket bear, it will be our project over the Christmas holidays ✨
It's very interesting to hear more about your toy making, Fran! Woollen Hearted and Woollen Folk are both such lovely names. The whole concept behind your toy making is so thoughtful and special. I hope you will get soon all the certifications you need to sell your bears to children as well. By the way, Zahar/Ostap is also here right next to me, sending a gentle bear hug to you ♡ (I still haven't decided the name, can you believe that?) I'm currently making a toy too! A Christmas/Winter themed gnome called Gnana. It's a mystery knitalong, so I don't really know how she will look like, except for the green colors I chose to knit her in :) I'm looking forward to your tomorrow's video. Your vlogmas is so soothing to watch. Thank you for sharing and for taking time to film it ♡
I wish I could attend your craft fair so I could give you an encouraging hug (and I’d love to buy a bear)! There is value in hand made items and people attending a craft fair, rather than shopping at a big store, know this and will find your prices fair. Be proud of what you have to offer and the fair will go well. ❤
It was lovely to join you at your work table. It was the respite that I needed after a busy and stressful day at school. My (adult) daughter's little bear, Onion, is a wonderful talisman. He sits on her dashboard during long drives and hides in her pocket during exams!
Awww I’m so glad I could invite you in for some quiet moments at the end of your day. As for Onion, well it makes me so happy to hear how he’s getting on in his new home! Xx
I enjoyed hearing more about your making, Fran!
Your doll parts took me back to the late 80s when there was a trend here for making little clowns with sad faces that sat in a hoop and I was swept into that rather doubtful fashion (!) and made a couple - I found the little limbs very fiddly and did not continue on the doll-making after that, except for a Waldorf doll I made for my eldest daughter when she was 5, with some knitted clothing, and my husband made her a little doll cradle to go with it, this was 1989.
The funny thing was that at Christmas, we couldn't really wrap the cradle, so we left it outside the living room door while we celebrated our Christmas Eve around the tree and then said "ooh did you hear that? I think the "Christkind" must just have been, go and have a look if you can catch it..." whereupon she opened the door, stepped OVER the cradle and doll to go and check the corridor and then came back the same way, saying no, she couldn't see anyone...! We were in stitches! But she did later enjoy them lol.
What a lovely memory you’ve shared with me, thank you so much, I loved reading it!
Early morning coffee and crocheting, granny clusters, repetitive and meditative at the same time and watching your beautiful episode… balm to my soul … Your dolls are utterly charming! I wish you all success at this month’s craft fair so that your hopes come true!🌲
Thank you soooo much!!!
As a spinner, I now always use my wool for stuffing my projects. I just finished an English Paper Piecing Pincushion and used the wool to stuff it. Just have to put a button on it and it’s the perfect gift. Love your dolls, didn’t realize all the testing that has to be done. But they are beautiful and I am sure the children that receive them will cherish them.
Oooh that pincushion project sounds so lovely! Do you have IG? If so could you tag me in a photo of it? I’d love to see! As for the toys, yes lots of testing but not a lot of crafters and makers know this, so I’m partly sharing to spread the word 🤍
Your little Rosa is such a beautiful bear in my life. She is always at my side when I am crafting. ❤️
Oh that makes my heart sing! Xxx
So lovely to see you here, I love your Christmas shrubbery, the sweet little doll friends and the ethos of all your making. I'm doing a craft show this weekend and am also nervous/excited! I hope it goes well for both of us, but I'm reminding myself that I signed up for it in the first place to give myself an "excuse" to make pretty things, after a time of depression and deep burnout that I'm still working through. The making is the reward, and the show is just a context. Thanks also for being open about the topic of mental health...it's such an important one. You were one of my main inspirations to start my channel (with one, now private video, hahaha) and seeing you back here is inspiring me again to finish a video and post it soon. Looking forward to more. x
Hello there! Thanks so much for your message. Firstly, good luck at the craft show! Do let me know how you get on, I’ll be thinking of you! I’m so glad you’ve found comfort from making as you travel through harder moments - making is such a solace to me too, even when I’m too poorly to actually make anything, it’s comforting to have things I’ve already made around me. And finally, hope you’ll go ahead with your channel! It’s hard to « put yourself out there » (I hate hearing my voice when I edit!) but it’s such a positive activity and thing to do! Warm wishes to you!
@woollenhearted Ah, thanks for such a sweet and detailed reply! I didn't expect that. 🥰 and yes, my voice (and face!) are a hurdle, but I think one worth getting over for the community and the "container" it might give my making! I always do better with a reason/excuse to prioritise creative time. Without one, it's sometimes hard to make it a priority. Thanks again and lots of love!
I love my teddy bears and the comfort they bring me. Crafting is so important for our mental health and I’d love to be able to make my own bear one day. I think your dolls are beautiful and hope they go down well at the craft market ❤
Oh I do hope you’ll able to make one one day! Making is such a solace for me, but especially when it’s a bear! (Although these days dolls are coming up a close second!)
I love your dolls! Very inspiring; I would love to try sometime. I love knitting toys for my kids. My 8-year old especially loves for me to make him toys- he will draw something or come up with an idea and I do my best to knit it into reality. We both find that so fun.
Oh what a beautiful way to make toys together! That’s such a wonderful experience I’m sure! My eldest would like me to show him how to make his own pocket bear, it will be our project over the Christmas holidays ✨
Enjoying watching you make your dolls. Your children are very lucky to receive your prototypes. Thanks for sharing.
You are so kind! Thank you!
Your dolls are so lovely! Nice to see you here again! 💚
Oh thank you so much x
I love your videos, I find them comforting. I crochet toys (amigurumi) for my grandkids. I absolutely love making them.
Thank you so much! I’ve not yet tried amigurumi although I absolutely adore crochet and making tiny things! What sort of toys have you made for them?
@woollenhearted I've made bunnies, bears, dinosaurs. I bought some books and they will pick a pattern from that or I buy a kit
beautiful dolls, i look forward to seeing them grow x also you have a lovely gentle way of communicating your creativity x
Thank you so much for your kind words ☺️
It's very interesting to hear more about your toy making, Fran! Woollen Hearted and Woollen Folk are both such lovely names. The whole concept behind your toy making is so thoughtful and special. I hope you will get soon all the certifications you need to sell your bears to children as well.
By the way, Zahar/Ostap is also here right next to me, sending a gentle bear hug to you ♡ (I still haven't decided the name, can you believe that?)
I'm currently making a toy too! A Christmas/Winter themed gnome called Gnana. It's a mystery knitalong, so I don't really know how she will look like, except for the green colors I chose to knit her in :)
I'm looking forward to your tomorrow's video. Your vlogmas is so soothing to watch. Thank you for sharing and for taking time to film it ♡
Awww thank you for all the lovely things you’ve written, it’s so special to know you’re joining me every day in these little snippets xxx
I wish I could attend your craft fair so I could give you an encouraging hug (and I’d love to buy a bear)! There is value in hand made items and people attending a craft fair, rather than shopping at a big store, know this and will find your prices fair. Be proud of what you have to offer and the fair will go well. ❤
Thank you for your kind and encouraging words, I really appreciate them! Wish I could invite you all to the craft fair! X
It was lovely to join you at your work table. It was the respite that I needed after a busy and stressful day at school. My (adult) daughter's little bear, Onion, is a wonderful talisman. He sits on her dashboard during long drives and hides in her pocket during exams!
Awww I’m so glad I could invite you in for some quiet moments at the end of your day. As for Onion, well it makes me so happy to hear how he’s getting on in his new home! Xx
Really enjoying your podcast and am glad you are back. I would like to see you demonstrate your crafts. ❤
Thank you! I will definitely try to film some spinning before the month is out!