From Yarn to Dragon Friend

Deep in a forgotten little closet corner sits an old crochet hook. There’s a nostalgic sense of power that comes from that colorful stick of metal. I can feel the fingertips of an isolated little girl as the metal curved and pulled a spiral of dyed wool for hours on end. Knot after knot, shape after shape as she quietly worked in circles. With detailed and deliberate energy, a new friend came to life. A tiny purple dragon with big green safety eyes

When things feel desolate and too emotionally taxing to handle, crochet became one of my go-to antidepressants. I’ve always turned to the things that inspire me. Myths, fables, and most of all magical creatures that have the power to change things that I cannot. It’s only natural that the mighty dragon would take precedence considering it’s global reputation. Though they were mainly portrayed as destructive catastrophes or obstacles to the princess in western folklore, they’ve always been a symbol of power and wisdom. The late 1900s turned that power into awe inspiring friendship. Growing up with movies like Pete’s Dragon, Mulan, and Quest for Camelot, dragons became a symbol of reliable companionship to me. So whenever loneliness set in and I needed a friend, I’d crochet a dragon!

I remember the only doll I really loved as a kid was a crocheted red and white one named Sally. She was a gift from my grandmother and the source for my fascination with crochet. “How could anyone hand make something so special?” I remember thinking. I spent hours admiring the twists and knots of her soft red dress. She was so easy to cuddle, unlike hard plastic ones. While dolls have been made out of various creative materials for centuries, The modern day plushie is a relatively new concept in human history. So new in fact that the modern stuffed animal has only been around since the end of the 1800s. Crochet on the other hand is a very old fiber art, but the amigurumi style hadn’t been adapted to toy making until the 1970s. It has soared in popularity ever since. Now, simply googling “Amigurumi Pattern” opens up an entire world of fun, whimsical, creativity contributed to by some of the most talented crochet artists and pattern makers. It’s in a little corner of this world that I found just what I was hoping for, the perfect dragon pattern.

Each dragon took on a life and personality of their own. Some were silly and cute, while others had a more majestic feel. My little dragons always felt like watchful encouragement to branch out and try new things. Since then I’ve made all kinds of animals and practical wares out of yarn. While it wasn’t the coolest hobby to have in high school, it was mine and it gave me a sense of accomplishment I rarely found in other things. With the sewing of each wing, tail, and foot I got better and better. I started gifting them to friends and family. A crochet dragon became one of my favorite and most sincere ways of telling the people around me I love them.

It was even a hobby I shared with my late cat Pepper. Every morning I would spend some time with her curled up in my lap making dragons. When she passed I almost stopped making them completely. It was sorrowful, staring at the lump of unfinished wool that was the last dragon we ever worked on together. It took months after she was gone to even get up the energy to crochet other projects, let alone touch the dragon. But part of her was pulling me to finish it. I couldn’t just leave it or her love in a half finished state. Finishing Pepper’s dragon brought the spark back but now instead of being just a hobby for myself, it’s part of my love for her.

More than a decade from where I started, I’m still finding new ways to make my dragons come to life. I’ve started adding a variety of mixed media, modeled them after my favorite pop culture, and tailoring them to individual themes. I want to bring the joy these little dolls have given me to people all over. I want to take the crocheting my grandma inspired me with and the dragons I’ve loved so much growing up and turn them into stories for other people. I think most of all, I’d love for someone in the future to think back and say “remember that old dragon stuffy, the handmade one? I really loved that thing growing up.”

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