Last week we were on the news! eeeeeeek! Marie Zaharaki wrote an amazing article on Athens News about crafting groups in Athens and we were really proud to be among two well known ones. We received a questionnaire with questions about us, our group and some crocheting issues!
here are some of our favorite answers:
How did you learn how to crochet/knit?
Marietta:I remember myself being taught by my mom how to hold the crochet hook since i was a little girl and doing simple "paint by number" style embroidery during the summer vacations. Panagiota is mostly self-taught and the one that talked me into crocheting and taught me more stuff.
Panagiota: The first time I sat down and finally started learning how to knit was when I wanted to make a scarf for my boyfriend at the time. I asked my mother and grandmother, who both showed me how to start, the basics so to speak. The rest I found on the internet. There are too many sites and tutorial videos on how to knit. After learning how to knit, crochet was next! Internet was again my tutor. Now crocheting hooked my heart!
When did you decide to start coming together as a group?
Marietta: I always considered Panagiota and myself a creative duo and literally a team since we were toddlers. Some time before 2008 I started reading lots of crafting and vintage related blogs! And the whole movement inspired me! I kept trying to talk my sister into creating a serious crochet group and have a more serious attitude to it. A year later I also persuaded two friends of ours to be in the crochet club and then it was reality! Panagiota was our leader and teacher ,me, Eleni and Tonia were the students/members!
What benefits are there in working as a group?
Panagiota: Well when you are in a group like ours the benefits are more than one can imagine, the most important for me is that one inspires the other and together we are moving forward and stay motivated! more ideas are coming on the table and we are having fun at the same time.
Do you feel comfortable to take your needle work out when with other friends or visiting someone?
Panagiota: We feel totally comfortable with that, but we don't like getting too antisocial, that means that when we're with friends that don't knit or crochet we prefer having fun with them so we don't crochet/knit!
What have people's reactions been like if you have taken your work out?
Marietta: There are really surprising reactions from people watching us crocheting! They ask us what is it that that we do, if they can buy something from us,even if we can teach them! Old ladies usually get too excited, they say that we are going to make super good brides and how lucky the men that will marry us will be... They also give us advice about what yarns to use, how to finish our project, then they ask our names and say goodbye! It's so cool! In the cafeterias, where we do our crochet club meetings, the waitresses will every time comment on our projects, and also happened sometimes that they ask us to teach them how to crochet in their lunch break! We also have taught two or three complete strangers how to crochet, we are still friends with some of them!
Marie (a knitter herself) wrote a wonderful article about craft meet up groups and commented on if it is socially acceptable to do needle work in public.There were some amazing ladies answering those issues and it is very interesting to read about crafts gaining ground in Athens.You can read here the article in Athens News (the oldest english spoken newspaper in Greece!) And there will be some more of our answers in the About us page. Hope you enjoyed this!
Also stay tuned for Dimi's new blog and the Sunshine awards! coming later on this week on Double Crochets!
cheers
Marietta ♥
here are some of our favorite answers:
How did you learn how to crochet/knit?
Marietta:I remember myself being taught by my mom how to hold the crochet hook since i was a little girl and doing simple "paint by number" style embroidery during the summer vacations. Panagiota is mostly self-taught and the one that talked me into crocheting and taught me more stuff.
Panagiota: The first time I sat down and finally started learning how to knit was when I wanted to make a scarf for my boyfriend at the time. I asked my mother and grandmother, who both showed me how to start, the basics so to speak. The rest I found on the internet. There are too many sites and tutorial videos on how to knit. After learning how to knit, crochet was next! Internet was again my tutor. Now crocheting hooked my heart!
When did you decide to start coming together as a group?
Marietta: I always considered Panagiota and myself a creative duo and literally a team since we were toddlers. Some time before 2008 I started reading lots of crafting and vintage related blogs! And the whole movement inspired me! I kept trying to talk my sister into creating a serious crochet group and have a more serious attitude to it. A year later I also persuaded two friends of ours to be in the crochet club and then it was reality! Panagiota was our leader and teacher ,me, Eleni and Tonia were the students/members!
What benefits are there in working as a group?
Panagiota: Well when you are in a group like ours the benefits are more than one can imagine, the most important for me is that one inspires the other and together we are moving forward and stay motivated! more ideas are coming on the table and we are having fun at the same time.
Do you feel comfortable to take your needle work out when with other friends or visiting someone?
Panagiota: We feel totally comfortable with that, but we don't like getting too antisocial, that means that when we're with friends that don't knit or crochet we prefer having fun with them so we don't crochet/knit!
What have people's reactions been like if you have taken your work out?
Marietta: There are really surprising reactions from people watching us crocheting! They ask us what is it that that we do, if they can buy something from us,even if we can teach them! Old ladies usually get too excited, they say that we are going to make super good brides and how lucky the men that will marry us will be... They also give us advice about what yarns to use, how to finish our project, then they ask our names and say goodbye! It's so cool! In the cafeterias, where we do our crochet club meetings, the waitresses will every time comment on our projects, and also happened sometimes that they ask us to teach them how to crochet in their lunch break! We also have taught two or three complete strangers how to crochet, we are still friends with some of them!
Marie (a knitter herself) wrote a wonderful article about craft meet up groups and commented on if it is socially acceptable to do needle work in public.There were some amazing ladies answering those issues and it is very interesting to read about crafts gaining ground in Athens.You can read here the article in Athens News (the oldest english spoken newspaper in Greece!) And there will be some more of our answers in the About us page. Hope you enjoyed this!
Also stay tuned for Dimi's new blog and the Sunshine awards! coming later on this week on Double Crochets!
cheers
Marietta ♥
