Last summer, Kaela Steeves’ 11-year-old dog, Cash, died. She wanted to do something special to commemorate her pet, so after watching a few YouTube tutorials, she went to a craft store, bought some supplies and got to work crocheting a felt portrait.
“I started crocheting about nine years ago now, that’s where my crafting skills started,” she said.
Steeves, an artist based in Nova Scotia, now creates wool felt portraits of pets for owners, allowing them to have a custom tribute to their dog, cat or anything else.
“It’s a nice memorial thing or even if your dog hasn’t passed, it’s nice to have,” Steeves said.
Steeves said each portrait takes a few hours to complete. She asks clients to provide frontal photos of their pet so she can properly capture their features.
“Some animals take longer,” he said. “It’s definitely a labor of love and I put a lot of time and effort into each portrait.”
Steeves said he has seen some reactions from clients when they receive the finished photos, which can often be quite emotional.
“I am in fear and the tears sometimes come,” he said. “It’s just something they can have forever now to remember their pet. It’s fantastic.”
