Featured Crafter: Mary from Maggie’s Raggedy Inn

In this Featured Crafter, we hear from Mary from Maggie’s Raggedy Inn. Read on to learn how Mary squeezes her passion for crafting into her busy life.

My name is Mary and I am a very busy lady. I am the Director of a community museum which brings a lot of stress into my life, yet gives me the opportunity to be creative. I have one daughter who is away at University studying to be a teacher for handicap children. I live in the small community that I was born in and share my life with my best friend, 4 adopted cats and a little dog called Rosie.

I have always love to make things and as a child, I was considered very different from my four sisters and three brothers because I traveled around with a pen and pencil drawing everybody that I knew. I also learned to knit and sew when I was very young. Throughout my life, I was never bored for there was always something to make and I learned to do just about all the crafts there is, from quilting,wood carving, painting, stitchery and so much more. I have often said that I would have to live until I am 95 to be able to do all that I want to do, and maybe that is what has kept me young at heart.

These days with my heavy work schedule, I have had to cut back on my many craft projects and so I knit at the end of my days. Knitting does not require a lot of equipment, space or mess and it is relaxing. I love colour and I have a large supply of wool. I always pick up extra yarn on my shopping trips to to the city just in case I run out, but I do not think that will ever happen. I have set up a quiet place to knit in my office at the back of my house. I watch movies or keep up to date with what is happening on Etsy as I knit. As soon as I finish one pair of slippers, I am thinking about the next pair and what colour to knit them. I feel like a kid with a big box of crayons as I look at my yarn stash. It’s wonderful and one of the simple pleasures of life. I am grateful to have been given the ability to enjoy this creative process for it has been a source of comfort through the hard times in my life.

I set up my Etsy shop as an outlet for my creations and I love it. It is addictive but I tell myself that I could be doing something worst than playing with yarn and needles. You can find my shop at http://maggiesraggedyinn.etsy.com. You can also follow my blog at http://maggiesraggedyinn.blogspot.com.

Like so many others I hope one day to be able to spend more time creating and building up my little business. It has always been my dream to write stories, make things and work from home. Maybe someday I will find a way but for now I have to help my daughter get through school and so I will satisfy my creative needs trying to fill my Etsy shop with felted slippers, dolls and my barn cats!