Norwegian crafter Torill, a full-time 40-something mother of 3 who is also known as @ektelykke, has a beautiful phrase as her Instagram tagline:
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things…
She celebrates the little things through her photos and through her craft work, and it’s a joy to see what she creates. In my 2014 roundup of her crochet work, I wrote:
“Her Instagram feed is rich with lots of crochet. She does beautiful work with color and I especially love when she incorporates different shades of pink in her pieces because for some reason she’s able to use this color so well! In addition to crochet, her feed has terrific close-up shots of nature, lovely images of food and daily items rich in color.”
I’ve learned more about her over time through her blog. My favorite thing that I’ve learned is why she uses the name Ekte Lykke, which it turns out is Norwegian for the phrase “authentic happiness”. She explains on her blog how this concept is a part of positive psychology and how she interprets this to mean, in part, that we must nurture our mental health through attending to the things that we love and being “in the flow. She writes:
“This is how I feel when I have the time and opportunity to “get lost” in my creative projects. I feel happiness. I feel Ekte Lykke. Creating is my “Brain Yoga” that keeps my sanity at bay, and myself in a “Happy Place”, and I have come to the realization that to prioritize this into my life the same way as I (should!) do with my jogging og yoga lessons, is essential to my well-being, and the only way I can keep both body and mind fit and strong to tackle all the aspects of life!”
I believe wholeheartedly in the lifesaving power of crochet and the idea that crafting can and should be part of our daily wellness plans, so I hugely appreciated learning about this aspect of Torill’s work. She goes on to share that she likes her blog to be a place where she shares the things that make her happy, not to make it seem like life is always light and perfect, but to allow her blog to be a haven of creative escape for herself (and I would add also for those who come to enjoy the goodies that she shares there).
I always enjoy the matching crochet sets that she makes, like the matching set of winter accessories we see here.
I also appreciate the detail in her photos, the way that the crochet is always the showcase at the center of the photo but there are props included to give intrigue to the images and share stories in pictures.
The yarn here is just delightful. The texture is terrific. And I love the color.
I adore the way that the sparkle dances off of the yarn in this detailed close-up perfect crochet flower photo.
Enjoy more crochet-covered rocks here.
What a cute little crochet basket, and what cute decor it goes with!
Torill crochet such a diverse variety of projects – motifs and single pieces, multi-color and monochrome, accessories and decor and blankets and more. It’s wonderful to explore what she’s making.
