The point of origin

It all started from this place, a small children’s bookshop in Tokyo.

My boys were still very little, aged 2 and 3 years old. They instantly fell in love with this place with all the charming and colourful books and toys. We also found that some activities and classes were offered in a room upstairs and soon, we became regular visitors.

I may loved this place more than my boys did. I could browse the shop on my own while my boys were enjoying activities in another room. It was a very first time that I could spend some time without my children in sight. You may think it is terrible, but I felt at peace. Raising small children was exhausting and I had very little help from anyone else.

There was a quiet music of lyre playing in the background. This place was my therapy.

And here, I came across the “Waldorf doll”

A Waldorf doll (also called Steiner doll) is a form of doll used in Waldorf education. Made of wool and cotton, using techniques drawing on traditional European dollmaking, its appearance is intentionally simple in order to allow the child playing with it to improve or strengthen imagination and creativity.

The shop sold kits to make these dolls.

They also offered doll making courses. I wasn’t too sure what I was getting myself into, but I signed up with one. These dolls looked so sweet and I just had to make one.

My sewing skill was very limited. I hadn’t have sewn any clothes apart from the apron I made in the middle school. I didn’t own a sewing machine.

And knitting? I hadn’t have knitted a stitch in my life.

After I made my first doll in the class, I was completely addicted to the craft. I bought all the kits I can get my hands on and kept making one doll after another. There are many styles.

This is one of my favorite. I don’t do wet felting much, but I think I did rather well.
Babies in a pea pod.

Doll making has opened many many doors for me. I learned dress making, knitting, crocheting, hand dyeing, spinning yarn, dry and wet felting. It is never too late to learn a new skill.I also met many nice people through the craft. If you are intrigued, you should at least give it a go. You certainly do not want to miss all the fun.

You can buy kits online, but if you have never made a doll before, it is a good idea to have a tutor. If you contact a Steiner school, you may be able to find someone to show you the skill.

I wonder what would have happened if I didn’t walk into that bookshop that day. There may be lots of life changing opportunities just around the corner without us knowing.

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