✨ A Day of Making at the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival ✨

This past Saturday, September 27, 2025, I had the privilege of teaching two crochet classes at the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival — a gathering that celebrates all things fiber, from hand-dyed yarns to spinning wheels, weaving looms, and the timeless craft traditions that connect generations. Those crochet classes turned into more than just lessons in making. They became moments of connection, laughter, and even quiet philosophy.

---

🌸 Morning Session: Crochet Brooch Making

My small group of students was a perfect snapshot of the festival’s spirit: a warm mix of curiosity, creativity, and community. Among them was a blond, long-haired middle-aged woman who clearly loved handmade crafts, and a striking pair — a dark-haired, slender mom and her tall, handsome teenage son, both absolute beginners in crochet.

For the mom and son, this was their very first time picking up a crochet hook. Teaching them how to hold the hook and yarn felt like initiating them into a quiet ritual — one that requires not only technical skill but also patience and mindfulness. I guided their hands, showing them how to keep the tension of the yarn steady, not too tight and not too loose.

The son’s first stitches were wild — too loose, then too tight, then knotted with frustration. I leaned over and told him,

“You should control your strength. Balance between your left hand holding the yarn and your right hand holding the crochet hook is important. Balance — just like life, like Icarus’ wings.”

He grinned at the comparison, and soon his stitches found their rhythm. Petal by petal, his flower began to bloom — a little uneven, full of charm, and entirely his own.

His mom said, “This is such a slow process—yet surprisingly relaxing.”

I smiled and replied, “That’s the beauty of it. Crafts like crochet, with their gentle, repetitive motions, spark serotonin production in the brain, soothing the mind much like meditation. They invite deep focus, quieting anxiety and nurturing mindfulness. And each completed stitch carries a small triumph—lifting self-esteem, sharpening memory, even helping guard against dementia.”

 Afternoon Session: Granny Square Crochet Handbag

In the afternoon, I taught another class: a granny-square crochet handbag workshop. 

This group was just as delightful with an elderly lady who knits beautifully but admitted she had forgotten how to crochet, a young woman and a young man, both absolute beginners. We started with the basic chain stitch, worked making the first granny square, and then another, and finally our way up to joining squares. 

---

🌱 Festival Reflections

What I love most about teaching at fiber festivals is the energy: the mix of curiosity and courage, the way people of all ages sit down together and learn something with their hands. The Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival is the perfect setting — with the smell of wool, the chatter of vendors, the sight of spinning wheels turning slowly.

Crochet is more than a craft. It’s a rhythm, a conversation between hands, hook, and thread. It teaches patience and precision, but also flexibility — the same balance I mentioned to my morning student. Not too tight, not too loose, just enough to let beauty form.

At the end of the day, each student left with something tangible — a brooch, a handbag square — but also something less visible: the confidence that they could make something with their own hands. For me, that’s the real joy of teaching.

If you’ve never tried crochet, festivals like this are the perfect place to start.