Bernie Sanders doll a global hit for crochet crafter Rosie

Limavady native Rosie was already a fan of the veteran Vermont Senator and former Democratic Presidential candidate when she chanced upon another artist’s woolly creation based on the iconic image of Bernie Sanders with his mittens and mask at the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Rosie swiftly decided to purchase the pattern from TobeyTimeCrochet and have a go herself and the resulting little crochet figure, which bears a striking resemblance to the man of the moment himself, has proved a huge hit across the world, with orders already placed via Rosie’s Etsy page, Crochet By Rosiebelle.

“It was somebody else’s pattern and when I saw it and they released the pattern I thought, ‘Oh my God that is so cool, I have to make one of those’,” Rosie said.

“Everybody loves Bernie and I always liked him too so I really wanted to try it. There’s a lot of detail in the pattern, his hair, his glasses, his mask. It took a lot of work.

“My brother Tim shared it online and it got a lot of love from all over the world and some people messaged me asking if I was selling them.”

Rosie decided to add Bernie to her Etsy page where she sells her crochet work, which includes baby cardigans, blankets, hats, scarves and all sorts of handmade items. She also creates bespoke crochet dolls of various cult and classic characters from the likes of Star Wars, Dr Who and Rick & Morty.

“I put three Bernie Sanders up for sale and they were just up and somebody from New York ordered two of them. He’s a big hit and I think it’s because the wee doll is so like him.”

And Bernie is just the latest success for Rosie, after her crocheted rainbows in tribute to the NHS in the early months of the COVID pandemic garnered widespread praise.

Rosie, who also works in communications and marketing, took up crocheting five years ago and hasn’t looked back, although she says she was initially a bit hesitant about it.

“I did not think I would enjoy crocheting. I thought it was something older women did and probably not for me but I love it.

“I was working at the time for Foyle Women’s Information Network and they had crochet classes on so I started it with them and looked up online tutorials and watched some videos and followed some creators on Instagram.

“I find it a good outlet for relieving stress and for anxiety. I find it very relaxing and calming.

“I also started doing it because I had a habit of sitting watching TV with the phone in my hand scrolling through it. I found myself feeling bombarded and half watching the TV and looking at Facebook, Twitter, maybe watching a video on YouTube. I thought I would try to put the phone away and have something else in my hand to replace it, something constructive instead off this constant barrage of media.”

Many people are discovering a new found love for creative pursuits since the world went into lockdown last March, and Rosie said getting creative with her craftwork has been so beneficial over the past year. “The media around COVID, it can encroach every part of your life so it’s nice to put the phone away and not look at it for a while and to be able to chill out a bit.

“It’s a stressful time for everyone and there’s little to do and nowhere to go except for a walk, and I find I can get myself lost in crocheting and listening to audiobooks. It is just such a great stress reliever.”

You can check out Rosie McCann’s range of unique hand-made crafts on the Etsy page Crochet By Rosiebelle at www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CrochetByRosiebelle