CHENNAI: Crocheting, knitting, pottery - crafts have found many takers during the lockdowns of the pandemic. And there have been endless online content creators waiting to empower and better assist them. One such creator is T Keerthana from Erode, whose YouTube channel KnitKnot Crafts detailed tutorials for the amateur craftsperson.
Keerthana's love for them began early in her life, thanks to her mother and aunt. "My mother made me my first woollen scarf and sweater. And I had a crochet needle with me throughout my school days when I made crafts out of wool," reminisces the software engineer professional. She continued to learn crocheting through YouTube tutorials.
Carrying the trend forward, and to share her knowledge on various crafts, she established her YouTube channel in 2019, going a different direction than her husband's initial suggestion of a cooking channel.
"The aim of the channel was to let people know of the different crafts and how to do them in a simplified manner. We try to cover as many craft ideas as possible and most importantly, find simpler ways to do so. I like to simplify things for myself and hence, wanted the same for others as well," she explains.
Craze for the koodai
The channel may have begun with a content combination of crocheting, origami, and cross-stitching, but it slowly moved more to exploring various kinds of koodai-weaving in a few months. "I learned to make wire koodai from my aunt during my childhood days and my mother guided me further. When compared with craft videos in our channel, wire koodai videos have gotten more reception. The lockdown period was noticed to be more useful for views since many tried new things through YouTube videos," she observes.
You can find an exhaustive list of koodai techniques - kuchi biscuit knot, murukku handle, dots sivan kannu lunch koodai, poosanikai/ tube koodai, heart pattern wire koodai etc - with more to come in the future. There is something basic for the newcomers, as well as creative for those looking to expand their skills.
"There are two main categories in wire bags. One, running wire models, for which we tend to use wire from the bundles continuously, and second, the crosscut model, for which the wires are cut initially and no extra wire is required. Along with the wire, we can use other properties like tubes, beads, tapes and so on, and come up with different models. Also, we could use the knots and patterns even with other materials like bamboo tape baskets, fish wire and more," she mentions.
The videos are in real-time, and explain the process slowly, making them easily understood. Peppered among the tutorials, are also videos of customer success stories, with pictures of koodai made by them.
While some believe koodai-weaving to be a dying art, Keerthana maintains that it is, in fact, well present through small-scale businesses in Tamil Nadu, by those who wish to earn from home. And for good reason, the koodai is more sustainable and a great alternative for tasks such as grocery shopping as it keeps its shape, she adds.
Despite the growing traction on the koodai videos, Keerthana looks forward to shifting focus to an umbrella of crafts. "In the future, the plan is to cover tutorials on other crafts like knitting, crocheting, kolam designs, koodai, using other materials, origami, arts etc. We would also like to improvise making brief videos for the tutorial. Additionally, I would like to build a platform from where customers can buy art and craft supplies, and buy and sell finished craft products," she exclaims.
The ways of the web
The Internet is always subject to a debate of pros and cons. And as much as one can argue for the latter, they cannot deny the significance of it when it comes to the dissemination of information. Keerthana also has seen the benefits of the Internet as a content creator.
Along with her content, she has also begun a WhatsApp business through which people can purchase her koodai. "The Internet is a growing platform for selling products. I have heard from our subscribers that they sell koodai in their relative circles via Whatsapp, and other online portals," she concludes.
To purchase koodais, WhatsApp on 9080684510