The crochet world was rocked last week by news that Wink from A Creative Being had taken her own life after battling severe depression. Her battle was no secret; in fact, her most recent blog post announced the struggle, prompting a multitude of supportive comments and private messages from friends and fans.
There's little I can say on the subject because it's not something I've experienced, but Kathryn from Crochet Concupiscence wrote a blog post that beautifully summarizes what we've all been feeling these past few days.
As a result, Kathryn has put together a lovely project for us to remember Wink by: #mandalasformarinke. I'll let this page on her website speak for itself, but I think it will not only be a wonderful tribute to a person who touched so many in our ever-growing world of crochet, but a beautiful art piece that serves as a reminder that life is, indeed, only fleeting and we never know how long we're going to have with one another, so make the most of it.
On a final note, it's worth mentioning that Kathryn is the author behind Crochet Saved My Life, a book that chronicles how crochet can be used to help us overcome a wide variety of personal health conflicts. Marinke is featured in the book, and although her story may not have ended in ways we all hoped, it's important for us to acknowledge how crocheting (and knitting) are more than hobbies to so many of us. If you're so inclined, I urge you to pick up a copy of the book (or download it on your Kindle) for some amazingly inspired stories, which is something we can all use under any circumstances.