Hello steemians, Have a seat in the cosy corner while I introduce myself.

Hello steemian's grab a seat in my cosy corner and get comfortable while I tell you a little about my life and how crochet (yes that thing your gran does) saved it.

I have to go back a bit first.

I can't tell you anything about me without mentioning this lovely lot, my great big family they are the centre of my being. Without them to teach me how to live with depression when i was diagnosed at 13, I would have lost myself to it very early on.

The photo was taken on the 14th of April 1997, I had just celebrated my 1st wedding anniversary, had 3 beautiful children and my husband had just got the job he had always wanted. We where looking forward to building our lives together but two months later everything changed when my husbands heart stopped.

Everything changed

I didn't cope shock and grief overwhelmed me so much that before long I was no longer living with depression I was fighting for my life. The only thing that kept me from giving in and ending it all was that I didn't want to orphan my children, but for a long time I was fighting so hard not to give in that I wasn't a good parent. I'm deeply ashamed of the fact that I nearly had them taken from me but the threat of it was enough for me to fight harder than i ever had before.

Eventually I reached a point where life ticked along I was a proper mum again, I got stronger and my children where happy but I was still fighting. Everyday the black dog sat on my shoulder telling me their lives would be better without me in it.

Then I met Sophie

A little under 2 years ago a friend posted a picture of a blanket she was making on facebook out of nowhere I had this overwhelming desire to have this blanket. It was silly, I've never been materialistic yet I just had to have one. The only way I was going to get one was if I made it myself. I had never crocheted before (well I'd tried and given up after a couple of minutes) but I brought a hook and some yarn and decided to teach myself.

I banished the black dog!

Four months later I had made very own Sophie's universe afghan and the process of doing so had proved so many of the negative thoughts I had been living with wrong. I wasn't useless, pathetic or worthless anymore, I'm talented creative and I can do anything I set my mind to including bringing the happiness back into our lives.

So what will I bring to steemit

I didn't stop crocheting after Sophie, everyday the dog would show up and I'd crochet i taught myself to make hats, scarves, gloves, blankets until I stopped using patterns and started making my own patterns. I published one of them here last week.

I don't have a blog (it's being built as you read this) with thousands of followers to bring into the fold, but I do have a passion and talent for what I do and I hope to share that with you all here. I'm working on tutorials, patterns, posts and videos for you all and hope some of you will decide to learn.

But if nothing else I'll bring a lot of colour and more importantly a smile.

Thanks for reading
Sarah x

You can read the full story of how Sophie changed my life here:
https://steemit.com/life/@phoenixmaid/the-afghan-that-changed-my-life

And see my Alice motif crochet pattern here:
https://steemit.com/crochet/@phoenixmaid/alice-motif-crochet-pattern-us-terms-skill-level-confident-intermediate-advanced