This cotton crochet mandala is the next of the beautiful, inspiring, special contributions coming in to the #MandalasForMarinke remembrance project. See the first contribution here. See the second contribution here. I am grateful for each and every amazing contribution.
Beautiful Crochet Mandala
This lovely crochet mandala is made in soft cotton using Marinke’s mandala crochet pattern for the Summer Hearts mandala. It uses some basic color suggestions that Wink herself used. Therefore, it is a terrific example of the original intention for how this crochet mandala should look.
I love the feel of it (can’t stop touching it!). I also adore the crispness of the stitches that cotton yarn provides and the way the soft colors stand out against the rows of white.
Meet the Crochet Mandala Maker
This wonderful crochet mandala contribution comes to us from Aurelia in Oklahoma. She, like so many of us, was inspired by the talents Wink showed on her blog.
Words by Wink
Marinke may have faced her own struggles in life but she wasn’t self-consumed in them. In fact, she often reached out to others in need. On May 29, 2011, she shared a photo of a heart she was making and added:
“I’ve also been crocheting this cool heart for a friend of mine, who is in need of a little extra love this week. I saw the pattern on Ravelry months ago and I made a mental note to make it as soon as the occasion arose! I also added a little tag that says “just a little lovin’”. I’m going to send it out tomorrow; I hope my friend likes it.”
Wink’s heart was always in the right place.
Reverse Seasonal Affective Depression
One purpose of this project is to raise awareness about depression. Therefore each post will end with some information about mental health and/or crafting to heal.
Today I wanted to let you know that there is such a thing as Seasonal Depression in the summer months. Many people know about Seasonal Affective Disorder and how it is common for people in areas with lots of winter rain and little sunlight to experience depression during the winter months. And many people know that depression can spike around major holidays, including the Christmas holidays. However, not nearly as many people are aware that a lot of people suffer from Summer Seasonal Depression, also known as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder.
According to the 2002 NY Times article (linked immediately above),
“Those afflicted during the summer often experience agitation, loss of appetite, insomnia and, in extreme cases, increased suicidal fantasies.”
More women than men suffer from this condition (as with regular major depression). As of 2002, approximately 1% of the popular reportedly may have Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder. The causes of the condition are unknown but a 2014 article from The Atlantic suggests possible causes include seasonal allergies, too much heat, and too much light. Many people with Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder don’t realize that it’s a pattern. They think that it’s another relapse into major depression. They don’t notice the cyclical nature of it.
Reminder: this was a 2015 collaborative crochet art project to raise awanress about depression and crafting to heal. I am doing daily post updates, in their original order, to bring new light to the project.
Lovely mandala. I’ve not heard of this reverse depression. My cousin in Michigan is bipolar and also suffers SAD so I am familiar with how it can affect someone.
I think a lot of people are unaware of reverse SAD so I felt like it was important to share, especially since it’s summer now in the Northern hemisphere where a large percentage of my readers are located. So sorry that your cousin has to cope with this. <3
The inclusion of facts about depression in your blog posts is a great idea and it is very interesting and helpful for those of us trying to understand and learn more about it.
I had never heard of Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder before but it is not surprising that it exists. My autoimmune disease makes it hard for my metabolism to adjust to hot weather (and thus bring on a flare up of illness) and perfectly healthy people can also struggle with hot weather. Stress is not good for anyone with depression. I imagine that the extra physical stress of weather extremes can make one more vulnerable to a relapse of depression in the same way it can cause my autoimmune symptoms to flare up. What do you think, Kathryn?
Take care, xx
Thanks. I’m really glad that this information is reaching people. I absolutely think it makes sense what you’re saying about the physical impact of weather extremes especially for people struggling with autoimmune and other chronic conditions. I believe wholeheartedly that mind and body are inextricably linked. <3