As the cold weather sets in here in the Northeast we find ourselves turning more and more to indoor activities. This has always been the case, but especially in the current climate of staying home and social distancing, we’re seeking out more and more creative outlets we can pursue at home. Some of us are long-time Crafters with a capital C, others are picking up a new hobby we’ve always wanted to try, and still others aren’t quite ready to break out the spray paint and glue sticks but are happy to take a virtual tour of the possibilities. If you don’t already have a craft project on the go or queued up, where do you look for inspiration?

Enter “ImagiCrafting.” Now, if you type “imagicraft” into the Google search box, all the results will be websites and blogs pertaining to the popular children’s computer game, MineCraft. This is not an article about MineCraft – if you came for computer game talk you came to the wrong place.

ImagiCraft, in my usage here, is a more craftually inclusive version of “ImagiKnitting.” If there’s something I want to knit I imagine it… ImagiKnit… ImagiKnitting. Imagine craft… ImagiCraft… Imagicrafting. See? I didn’t coin the phrase ImagiKnit, which has been making the rounds in knitting circles for at least a few years, but the concept could be applied beyond knitting to all sorts of crafts.

But, where to start? The side effect of our hyper-connected world is that we’re sometimes paralyzed by too many choices. From blogs to websites to YouTube channels, books, magazines, digital magazines, Pinterest, and more, it’s easy to be swamped by information overload and a glut of options. Sometimes you just need someone to cut through the noise and point out sources they most like for inspiration.

And since you asked, I’d recommend starting with free resources! Free resources through the library, to be precise. If you’re looking for crafts to do with children you should definitely check out our Children’s Department’s calendar of events, as they put together take-home kits for weekly craft projects and sensory skills building. Videos from their past make-and-take crafts can be found on the library’s YouTube channel, so browse the back catalog for ImagiCraft inspiration.

For craftually curious adults and teens however, I have a few recommendations. For someone interested in browsing pretty pictures for ImagiCrafting (read: all of us), check out our digital magazines. We have titles available through two free apps, Flipster and Libby. Hobby and craft titles of interest on Flipster include Crochet!, Do It Yourself, Better Homes & Gardens, This Old House, and Birds & Blooms. Crafting magazine titles on Libby include Simply Knitting, Cardmaking and Papercraft, and an array of home and garden magazines. If cooking is your creative outlet we have many cooking magazine titles available digitally on both apps and in hard copy.

Speaking of hard copy magazines, you can browse and borrow all the back issues of our physical magazines and books. While the latest issues of magazines don’t circulate, we keep at least two years worth of popular titles like Vogue Knitting, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes & Garden, and Family Handyman, not to mention cooking and home and garden titles. And the books, oh my goodness the crafting books. Crafting subjects range from knit and crochet to sewing, rug hooking, quilting, jewelry making, painting, weaving, paper crafts, calligraphy, and model and miniature building. Most of our craft and hobby books can be found on the second floor with a few subjects up on the Mezzanine level, if you’d like to browse in person. You can also request items online to pick up in the library or through our curbside pickup service. I recommend loading up on a few favorite titles and cozying up at home to binge and ImagiCraft to your heart’s content.

If you’ve been inspired by ImagiCrafting and now you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and get started, we can help you begin without investing money in new tools and gadgets. Our Library of Things collection has lots of crafting tools to borrow, including knitting needles, crochet hooks, blocking mats and pins, jewelry pliers, embroidery hoops, a leather punch tool, CriCut accessories, an embosser, and more. Visit our second floor to browse the collection, or type “Norwood Library of Things” into our online catalog to request items from home.

We may be distancing and hunkering down in our homes, but that doesn’t mean we need to craft alone. If you need a second pair of eyes to make sense of a pattern or fix a dropped stitch, we’re offering individual Stitch Doctor appointments to provide knitting help at the library. We also have a crafting group that meets on Zoom twice a month called Virtual Craft Connection. The link to drop in and join us is on our library events calendar, no need to sign up in advance. Join us to share your latest ImagiCraft inspiration!

Liz Reed is the Adult Services Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, MA. Look for her article in the November 26, 2020 issue of the Transcript and Bulletin.