Mark Sunday 26 February on your calendar. Yes, it’s time for the West Coast Craft Market in Melkbosstrand again; time for the tannies to conjure up their vetkoek and jaffles while we peruse the knitted and crocheted ware and 1000 other delights on offer.

Market organiser Estelle Hinkley with her granddaughter Ava de Lange.

Crafts have never been cooler…
The market is held in the rustic setting of the Melkbosstrand Country Club. It’s so rural and relaxed under the trees that you can feel your stress levels drop, and disappear from sight.

Horrible boss? Who cares? Think tall trees and gazebos and friendly faces. Many of the stallholders like Auntie Louise Easton from Table View are regulars.  Easton makes and sells “a divine chilli sauce,” pickles, chutneys, jams, mustard and olives. Says one of her fans, “She got a lot of the recipes from her mom. She puts her heart into her products.” This is the crux of the matter for fans of crafts.

A return to a time when quality mattered
This is also at the heart of the resurgence that crafts have experienced. Witness this little vignette seen on Orca seafood restaurant’s stoep yesterday afternoon. A woman sat crocheting with a blissful half smile on her face, ignoring the sea. She was in her happy place.

Face temptations
You will face many temptations at the craft market, ranging from witty hand-knitted toys to hand-made pottery to garden accessories and clothes. The sales of some of the wares even go towards supporting a worthy cause. The Vasco Special Needs Centre is such a case. The sales of their jewellery, cards and bookmarks go towards the upkeep of the centre which caters for adults and children with special needs.

A family outing
Organiser and crafter Estelle Hinkley says it’s a family day. Mom can shop if she wants to, or join Dad in the bar, while the children play under Marina’s supervision in the children’s tent. There’s a scratch patch for them, so that they can make their own jewellery. There’s a jumping castle, too.

“I make tutus and necklaces and diaper cakes myself; I’m just such a crafty person,” Hinkley says happily. “I’ll never get rich from organising this market. For me, it’s about the community. Somebody asked me if I will raising the stall fee at all this year and I said ‘no.’ I can’t raise the fee because it’s not about me. It’s about them. I do this passionately for my amazing crafters.”

For more information contact Estelle Hinkley at wccraftmarket@gmail.com or 0845003200.