Wellness month and hobbies – how do our experience creators spend their free time? Handicraft

2024-10-15T13:27:51

October and November mark the wellness months at Tallink, a time when we place a special focus on promoting the balance between work and leisure among our cherished colleagues. Maintaining this equilibrium is vital for both mental and physical health. Engaging in positive activities during free time helps alleviate stress, boosts work motivation, and keeps the mind sharp. To highlight this, we have created an eight-part news series showcasing how our employees relax and sustain this balance through various hobbies, enabling them to remain energetic at work and continue delivering exceptional experiences for our guests.

As part of our Wellness Months, we continue to highlight the hobbies of our staff – passions that help keep minds fresh and spirits high, allowing us to create a welcoming atmosphere and memorable experiences for our guests.

Crafting is an excellent way to express creativity and make something tangible with your own hands. It offers a sense of fulfilment, focus, and relaxation – an ideal method for releasing stress. The concentration needed to follow patterns and instructions helps one switch off from the outside world and often brings about a meditative state. Below, we delve into the hobbies of Meelika Kiil, a host at Restaurant NOK NOK, and Kelli Männik, Marketing Specialist at Tallink Hotels.

Meelika Kiil, Host at Restaurant NOK NOK

What is your hobby?

Crocheting is my recently rediscovered hobby, which I came back to unexpectedly during a chilly autumn period. At the time, I was knitting when a friend’s story about her own crochet projects, paired with her display of a handmade bag, truly inspired me.

How did you find your way to crocheting?

After being inspired, I rummaged through my drawers and found my old crochet hooks from school – I had to visit my parents’ house to retrieve them, as I had stored my craft supplies from my school days there.

What makes crocheting enjoyable for you, and what value does it add to your life?

Crocheting allows me to switch off from the world around me and focus solely on counting stitches. While quietly working on a project, I can listen to my favourite podcasts or music, or even enjoy a series or film on TV. This is also a hobby that can be enjoyed outdoors – on the beach, in a garden swing, or on a terrace chair. What I love most is that it is largely a “tech-free” activity, with the only digital aspect being the occasional tutorial video.

Even more, I appreciate the craft community itself. Whenever I plan a new project, the staff at craft shops eagerly share insights on colours, textures, and patterns, offer helpful advice, and always ask me to return and show them the finished product. These shopping trips truly lift my spirits – I leave the shop with a smile, excited to see how the yarn will come together in the piece I envision.

What is your most memorable experience related to crocheting?

The greatest compliment is when others notice and appreciate my work. This inspires me to try new, more complex patterns, pushing myself to test my limits. Thanks to regular practice and a drive to improve, I have been able to create delightful items for my family and friends and have even completed a few custom orders!

What would you recommend to someone who wants to start crocheting but is hesitant to take the first step?

Starting out with crafting has never been easier – there are countless detailed guides, books, and even tutorial videos that demonstrate every step in a steady, visual manner. There is nothing to fear, as simple questions and guidance can always be sought from mothers, aunts, or grandmothers who may already have experience. The true joy lies not only in creating for oneself but in the ability to delight family and loved ones with handmade treasures for various holidays and special occasions!

Kelli Männik, Marketing Specialist at Tallink Hotels

What is your hobby?

My hobby is sewing – I have been practising it for nearly my entire life. I started in my early childhood, first creating stylish outfits for my dolls and later moving on to making clothes for myself.

What makes sewing enjoyable for you, and what value does it add to your life?

Sewing helps keep my creativity alive, allowing me to disconnect from everything else and focus on a mini-project – from a few hours to several days. It brings a sense of joy and satisfaction because I can create something perfect for myself (or for someone else) from scratch, starting with just an idea or a simple sketch on paper.

What is your most memorable experience related to sewing?

The most gratifying experiences are definitely all the completed works. An added bonus is the compliments and questions from others. It is quite common in my life to respond with: “Thank you, I made it myself!” This has served as a great ice-breaker in Monday morning conversations or when building new friendships.

I also love browsing fabric shops, both online and in person, where I often receive helpful tips on different fabrics, threads, and experimental techniques. When I find the perfect fabric (which usually comes with a vivid image in my mind of the finished piece), I am always invited to return and share photos of the final result. I often joke and say then as well: “Thank you, I made it myself!”

Recently, I invested in a new sewing machine that allows me to not only create standard seams but also use decorative and illustrative stitching patterns. I can’t imagine anything better than a red dress for Valentine’s Day with a hemline adorned with heartbeat patterns or a blue, nautical-themed dress featuring wave motifs on the skirt!

What would you recommend to someone who wants to start sewing but is hesitant to take the first step?

There is no need to be nervous about starting to sew! At first, there is no need to tackle complex evening dress patterns – begin with simpler projects to build your skills. As your confidence grows, you can gradually move on to more challenging designs and eventually create your own patterns.

I recommend starting with pillowcases or cushion covers and bed linens (where you can practise sewing straight lines), then moving on to simple tube skirts or dresses, and later experimenting with various patterns. I personally love sewing beautiful dresses and have developed two core patterns that I like to combine and adapt according to my mood, so each piece I make has a unique character.

And the best part is that you do not need much to get started – a single spool of thread and a hand needle are enough! It is a long journey to the more advanced machines, and before making a significant investment, one should be confident that it will not just sit on a shelf collecting dust. Best of luck and happy creating!