Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Display of imagination, creativity

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Crocheting enabled me to develop patience and precision. My joy knew no bounds when I was able to crochet a 3D flower. Now, I can complete a single flower in 2 hours from the initial longer hours, says Meghna Senthilkumar, a young girl who attempted her maiden crochet and persevered through it. The Oman chapter of Mother India’s Crochet Queens (MICQ) is in the news again. They are all ready to attempt a Guinness World Record for the ‘largest display of crochet sculptures’ with the event scheduled in Chennai, India, on January 21, 2018.


The MICQ members showcased over 2,000 crocheted 3D sculptures in a colourful event held at the Indian Embassy in Muscat last week. About 53 participants from Oman joined hands to create amigrumis (small crocheted dolls), based on the theme, ‘Go Green, Save Earth’ for the Guinness record. Each participant had to make a minimum of 50 sculptures, but some even surpassed 300 sculptures.


The items made were displayed in three categories. In the first category, a minimum 30 amigrumi items had to be made while in the second, a minimum 50 of all 3D items such as flowers, butterflies, pouches, purses and the last included a combination of 40 of both categories.


Recollects, Kiranpreet Sahni Nair, regional head of MICQ Oman chapter, and Goodwill Ambassador, of their journey: “Initially, we were sceptical and not sure of what to make, but were willing to learn which eventually turned out to be key to success. Gradually, we started making 3D flowers, butterflies, pouches, purses and started animals and human figures. I made ‘Angry Birds’ series, a Punjabi bridal couple and the miniature dolls with one of the male sculptures dedicated to South Indian cine actor Rajnikanth.”


Henreitta Joseph Rodriguez made 301 sculptures and topped as the highest scorer in the project. She is now eligible to meet the Guinness World record adjudicators and permitted for a one-minute talk and can take photographs with them.


“I made miniature bags, pillows and for railway project worked on 125 telephone pouches, which was again the highest number among all who participated in the project. I was aiming to be the highest scorer and achieved it,” says an excited Henreitta.


Some were attempting it for the first time, yet they successfully completed the target. “I didn’t know even the basic work in crocheting, but soon finished 210 sculptures in a month,” points out Kiruti Krishna.


Usha Sainath who is making her maiden attempt began with toffees, peanuts and cactus garden and ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’. I have made about 200 sculptures in Category 3.” Geetha Vani who joined as a beginner, the work had enhanced her creativity greatly. Many home makers and working women found the work much relaxing and creative.


Similarly for Mirunalini Sridhar, the work kept her active and got her mingling with friends whom she never knew before. For Nirupa D’Cruz who participated with her daughters it was a big stress buster after her busy schedule from work.


Kamakshi Venkat, an author, got hooked to crochet, hook and yarn and have become her best friends. Her son Nikshit did 30 sculptures and tries to make his own toys and plans more amigrumis during winter holidays. He is confident and has learned to think creatively.”


Kiranpreet is all praise for her 11-year-old son, Karthik who made 3D butterflies and flowers. “He has become more creative and responsible after participating twice,” she says adding that the project unleashed the creativity among them. “In the beginning YouTube was our biggest teacher, but now we can make anything just by visualisation. My entire team has made fascinating sculptures,” she says.


This time the signature sculpture was based on ‘Tree of Creativity’ with saplings of love and peace in pots of Oman and Indian flag colours.


The MICQ Oman is contributing approximately 4,700 sculptures, and the collective target of the entire members across the globe is to beat the previous record of 13,500 sculptures made in UK and create a greater record. Sixteen children, including boys, enthusiastically joined the team and the youngest participant was seven-year-old Shreya Arun Umrani while Vali Padmavathi Hari, the senior most.


Sushma Pandey, wife of Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate, Indra Mani Pandey, the chief guest during the occasion congratulated the members on their amazing work. “Crocheting is symbolic of how you can join together and is all about interlocking threads and creating beauty. This is an absolute display of imagination, creativity and experimentation,” Sushma said.


The collection of selected displays revealed a variety of colourful amigrumis in different themes and patterns. Among the items on display were the colourful Snoopy, Russian dolls, Japanese Kokeshi dolls, sleepy heads, tree of creativity, Omani traditional items, Jurassic park and even an MICQ entertainment channel! The members were dressed in green symbolising their message for green initiative to the world.


The MICQ group initiated by Chennai-based Subashri Natarajan had in March achieved the Guinness Record for the world’s longest scarf and the world’s largest crochet blanket.


Liju Cherian


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