Needle Felting with Karin Celestine

Karin Celestine is an artist and author, who creates beautiful needle felted animals, some of which star in their ‘Celestine and Hare’ books published by Graffeg. Their passion for making is infectious!

I have been making since I was old enough to pick something up and have never stopped since. I taught chemistry, art and crafts for 20 years and then started my business Celestine and the Hare where I make and sell needle felted animals and write and illustrate picture books for all ages.

Creativity is so important to us as human beings and it can find a way to come out in so many different spheres. Some people say they aren’t creative, yet they bake amazing cakes, or sing or know just how to entertain a baby. A lot of hobbies are creative and they are a wonderful way for us to relax and be creative. We can lose ourselves in doing something different from our usual day to day lives, sometimes for hours without realising if we find that hobby that is just right for us.

I have tried most crafts at one time or another, from green woodwork to knitting, metal work to weaving. I remember being at junior school and at the end of term the teacher said we could bring a toy in for the last day of term. I brought my little weaving loom in with me. Not much has changed in the next 50 years!

I started needle felting as a hobby. I was doing green-woodwork mostly, but then I got ill and spent a lot of time in bed. I couldn’t lift my axe or knife, so I started needle felting as something I could pick up and put down quite easily. No concentrating on patterns to follow, or stitches to count. It was a great stress reliever and a lovely distraction too. I would recommend it as a hobby to try and there are great books out there that show you the basics.

Over time it became my job, and that then has a different feel to it. I still love felting so much and do it every day, but they have to be just right to sell, and they have to be ‘good’. One of the lovely things about a hobby is that you can just do it. It doesn’t matter if you play the piano badly, or if your beans don’t grow in the garden, it isn’t a job and there is no expectation and someone paying for it and I think that’s the biggest thing that makes it relaxing and joyful. No pressure of timescales, or perfection.

Even though I spend my days making, I still have hobbies I like to do in the evenings. Currently I am knitting. I am not the best knitter but it doesn’t matter. I am ridiculously proud of my knitting, mistakes and holes and all. I will proudly show people what I made. I like to get craft kits for my birthday to try new things, again just for the fun and joy of making. I have a basket weaving kit to try next.

I feel so lucky to have a job that is doing what was my hobby, and that I still have time to do other hobbies too, though I do think we need to get away from the idea that one should always turn a hobby into a money making thing. They have their own value in themselves.

I love going to the library and scouring the art and craft section to see what is there and any new ideas of things to try. I have got so many books at home on how to do crafts, embroidery, birch bark weaving, origami. If you aren’t sure what you might like to do for a hobby, then go and have a browse at the library or your local bookshop. See if there’s anything that takes your fancy or go on a workshop and try something new.

People say oh but I’m no good and I say why does that matter? Of course you won’t be any good the first time you try it. No one expects to sit down at a piano for the first time and play a symphony. But a little practice and you’ll get better and learn enough to be able to do it for fun. They say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master of a craft, but we don’t need to be masters, we just need to be able to have a go and enjoy ourselves in the process.

My series of children’s books all have a craft activity in the back of them that links to the story, from stick weaving, to origami to making bug houses. A great way to get children involved in finding a hobby they enjoy too. ‘Bertam likes to Sew’ is a book about a hobby and passion. In the back of it he shows you how to sew your own little teddy bear.

Why not join Bertram and find what you like to do too?

You can find out more about Karin at www.celestineandthehare.com

You can find out more about Karin at https://www.celestineandthehare.com/

Many thanks to Karin for taking part in NNFN and sharing their love of crafting. Thanks also to Graffeg for their help and support