A few years ago, I started doing what are known in my family as Crisis of Life Projects. When going through a particularly trying, stressful, and negative life event, I change that outlook into a craft project. It gives my hands something to do and my mind something to focus on instead of succumbing to sadness or depression. It gives me something fun and new to do and in the end I have something beautiful that I might never have had if I hadn’t gone through that particular life event.
My last Crisis of Life project was this crocheted afghan:
When my mom came to visit, we decided that Gallbladder Surgery warranted just such a Crisis of Life project. I was warned that coming out of surgery I might be very depressed for awhile, plus I would have countless of recovery hours to fill with something. Mom and I searched for a good Crisis of Life project to fit the situation. I wanted to get fabrics with different foods on them to make a quilt or something, documenting all the food I couldn’t eat with my diseased gallbladder as well as the food that I was craving and would be able to eat again after my gallbladder (affectionately named Gustav) was removed. But no such fabric was available.
It was then that I mentioned a crocheted rainbow bunny I had started a VERY long time ago, but hadn’t gotten very far on. I had finished the head, part of the body, and part of the a leg and then had set it aside, but had not yet returned to it. So, we decided to make finishing it be my Crisis of Life project. It is a rainbow pattern with a lot of bright colors – truly a cheerful project. Each body part is made and stuffed separately, then attached to the body with buttons, so the limbs are movable. Then the facial features are simply stitched on with yarn.
And now, just about 3 weeks since my surgery, I finished it!
Isn’t that adorable? It’s GIGANTIC, but I think it is one of the cutest things I have ever made. Although it was time consuming (because of the size) it was relatively easy to make and didn’t take too much concentration (if you know basic crochet stitches). Here it is with Andrew so you can get a better idea of size.
This is the website where I downloaded the instructions from (I had originally gotten this magazine, which gave me the idea, but once I decided to actually make the bunny, I had misplaced the magazine. But this website lets you download it for free). This would be a great gift for a child if anyone is interested in making one, and although I followed the colors in the pattern, you could use whatever color scheme you wanted.
These show a closer look at the button attachments, the facial features, and the tail. The tail is a crocheted circle as the base, and then a latch-hook effect with 5″ strings of yarn in a random spacing of the yarn colors. Mine isn’t as bushy as the pattern pictures, but it is still pretty cute.
Mom and I texted back and forth about B names (since it is a Bunny, and we have a thing for alliterations – long story). I decided it was a girl, and we finally named her Brietta Bunny. Brietta means Strong, and after all, that is the point of a Crisis of Life project – to give you the strength to get through whatever life is sending you. It also serves as a reminder afterwards that if you were strong enough to get through that, you are strong enough to get through whatever comes next – as long as you have a good Crisis of Life project to get you through that as well!
