Designer Interview | Catherine Crochets

I’m delighted to share a new fibre friend chat with you today. Join me in giving a big welcome to the KCACOUK blog to Catherine of Catherine Crochets.

Image of Catherine from Catherine's Crochet holding up a tapestry crochet blanket
© Catherine Crochets 2023

I had the pleasure of actually meeting Catherine at the end of last year, when I was a guest, and she was the guest designer at The Crochet Sanctuary. You will have no doubt come across her work, as I did, on social media and in magazines – she really has an eye for design using colour work and tapestry crochet.

I was delighted to have a go at her methods of tapestry crochet as we worked on her Winter Flora Cushion as our Crochet Sanctuary crochet workshop project. I thoroughly enjoyed making the cushion, and the tapestry stitch technique, so I wanted to find out a bit more about her designing processes and about her in general. Here’s what we chatted about…

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi Heather! Thanks for inviting me for this interview. It was great to meet you in November at the Crochet Sanctuary and chat all things “crochet designing” with you!

I’m a crochet designer from just outside London, in the UK. I live with my husband and two daughters. As you mentioned, I specialise in tapestry crochet. I absolutely love designing blankets with this technique although I’ve also produced a number of cushion and accessory designs too.

© Winter Flora Cushion – Catherine Crochets 2023

Have you always been crafty?

Yes, I’ve always loved crafts. I dabbled in lots of things as a child and my friends were really arty too so we inspired each other and were always making things. I took pottery classes for a few years, which I loved, and also tried lots of other arts and crafts like Fimo, calligraphy, quilling, painting, stamping, cross stitch… I don’t actually think I was particularly yarny as a child though, although I did learn the basics of how to knit.

How did you become a crochet designer? Do you do it full time?

I guess I fell into it a bit by chance really. I started crocheting when my youngest daughter was a toddler, mainly making blankets (with plenty of mistakes in them!). One day, I saw a tapestry crochet scarf online and I absolutely loved the look of it. I’d never seen that kind of crochet before. I thought it would be fabulous to make a blanket with lots of different tapestry crochet patterns on it. And so I came up with the Geo Georgie Blanket. It got a really great response from the crochet community on Instagram, which encouraged me to keep going with more designs and things just spiralled upwards from there.

Sadly, I don’t do it full-time, although I wish I could! I mainly fit it in during my evenings and weekends, and the odd lunchtime crochet break too!

© Geo Georgie Blanket – Catherine Crochets 2023

You really seem to enjoy colourwork and tapestry crochet – what is it about that style of crochet that you love?

I love patterns and spot them all over the place. I find it really exciting recreating these patterns in crochet, and tapestry crochet is the perfect technique for this. I especially love taking a motif, like a square or hexagon, with a colour work pattern on it and repeating it over a large blanket to create an even more striking pattern.

Can you tell us about where you draw your inspiration from?

Some is from nature – I really like leaves and flowers – and some is more abstract like pure geometric patterns. I see a lot of inspiration on textile items or even ceramic tiles, that I then love to try recreating with crochet.

© Midnight Diamond Blanket – Catherine Crochets 2023

What does your design process look like? Do you sketch things out first, or do you just like to grab a hook and start?

I always sketch first. I use a lot of squared paper as I find this is essential when coming up with a tapestry crochet design. I usually draw out a design on squared paper first and then work up a test swatch or motif from that. Mostly, it turns out a bit different to how I expected once I’ve worked it up in crochet, so I make a few tweaks and try again until I’m happy with it.

Sometimes, I plunge straight into making the project and write it all up at the end. However, recently I’ve been getting much better at making notes and starting to write it up as I go along. That saves a lot of time at the end!

Do you have a favourite creation that you’ve designed?

That’s a tough one! Can I pick two?

My personal favourite is my Clarissa Blanket. Both the colours and the pattern are so me. This was a design that I just couldn’t help but make!

However, in terms of getting me started and known as a designer, then I have to say my Midnight Diamond Blanket. This is by far my most popular pattern and I’m so grateful for the wonderful response it’s had and continues to receive.

© Clarissa Blanket – Catherine Crochets 2023

How do you fit everything in that you want to? Are you strict with yourself and your time or is it a struggle to juggle?

I never fit in everything that I’d like to! But I just do my best to do as much as I can and never miss an opportunity to work a bit more on a project. I make a lot of lists – I find that helps a lot – and I try not to be too hard on myself at not being able to do everything I want to straight away.

What advice or top tips would you suggest for anyone new to colourwork or tapestry crochet?

I’d say that it’s really not as hard as it looks. Watch or read a tutorial first, to get a feel for it. There are lots out there but I have a video tutorial on YouTube or a step-by-step guide on my blog that are both good places to start. Then just dive in with a pattern. I outlined a few relatively simple ones to start with in a blog post if anyone needs some inspiration.

Once you’ve got the hang of it, if you’d like to design your own, then all you need is some squared paper and colouring pencils and away you go!

What can we expect to see from Catherine Crochets in 2023?

This year, I’ve decided to focus on blankets as I love them and they are also my most popular patterns. I’m working on a new floral design at the moment using hexagons, which I’m really excited about.

I’m also hoping to create a tapestry crochet course with a series of patterns of increasing complexity, each introducing a new skill or aspect. That will be quite a big project for me of course, but I’m hoping to start work on it later this spring.

© Design in progress – Catherine Crochets 2023

And just for fun if you could have a superpower what would you choose?

I’ve always loved the idea of the time turner that Hermione uses in the Harry Potter books. It would be great to have the power to turn back time so that I could fit more crochet into each day!

I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank Catherine for taking time to chat to me. I’ve really enjoyed getting a better understanding of her life and designing process and hope you have too.

Follow Catherine everywhere on the web:  BLOG, INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK and you can buy her patterns on RAVELRY and ETSY

Catherine also has an email list which you can sign up to here if you’d like to get news of new pattern releases and the biggest discounts on her patterns. Plus, you get two FREE tapestry crochet patterns just for signing up.

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If you enjoyed this interview you can catch up on all the other designer chats and discussions with other people in the fiber industry. And if there’s any other people you’d like to maybe see featured here on the blog, let me know in the comments and I’ll see what I can do.

Make sure you are signed up to blog (below) and / or my mailing list to get a reminder when new blog posts like this one, discounts or new pattern releases are available.

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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Giveaway | Win tickets for The Stitch Festival

EDITED: Giveaway now closed, congratulations to; Ann C, Tracey L, Charlie P, @Catherinecrochets and @shearsfiona

How would you like to win some FREE tickets to The Stitch Festival which returns to the Business Design Centre, Islington, London from 23-26 March 2023?

The Stitch Festival Logo - Business Design Centre, Islington, London from 23-26 March 2023

London’s hottest event for contemporary stitchers is back! The annual four-day creative extravaganza is a ‘must go’ for craft fans, with more than 230 hands-on workshops hosted by top tutors, designers and makers. 

Dressmaking, upcycling and slow fashion are a major focus for The Stitch Festival, with a dedicated Dressmaking Studio (sponsored by Brother), an overlocker workshop programme, and a Dressmaking Competition that shines a spotlight on the skills and talents of home dressmakers. Open to sewists of all levels, there are categories for Eveningwear, Loungewear, Childrenswear, Knitwear and Crochetwear, Upcycled or Repurposed garments, and new for 2023, Menswear. 

Two ladies looking at different fabrics at The Stitch Festival
© The Stitch Festival 2023

Eagle-eyed judges from the worlds of fashion and textiles (past judges have included Esme Young, Lisa Comfort and Nerrisa Pratt) will be looking for excellence in technical skills, stitching and creative flair. With prizes for category winners, a Janome Sewing Machine worth £650 for ‘Best in Competition’, and a Finalists’ Fashion Show on Sunday 26 March, Stitch Festival visitors can expect some exciting highlights. Competition entry submissions must be made by Friday 24 February 2023. For full entry information, visit www.thestitchfestival.co.uk/dressmaking-competition/  

Portrait of Katie Jones, Crochet Designer surrounded by colourful crochet samples and yarn
© The Stitch Festival 2023 – Katie Jones (Photo by Rachel Manns)

There are yarny things to look forward to too at the Festival. This year crochet designer Katie Jones has designed The Stitch Festival’s Crochet Lounge where she will be hosting crochet lessons and book signings. There are also so many workshops, just search ‘Crochet’ for a list of all the hooky ones – or try your hand at a new craft. In terms of crochet they include sessions on Mosaic crochet, Tunisian Crochet, Broomstick crochet lace and Freeform crochet to name a few.

Textile artist Jen Cable’s project, Knitted Lives, will be a celebration of contemporary knitting, exploring the lives and stories of everyday knitters, while best-selling author and craft entrepreneur, Isabella Strambio, will be inviting Festival goers to awaken their creativity as she shares her passion for macrame.   

Image of Knitted Jen Cable by Sophie Hoare
© The Stitch Festival 2023

Looking for inspiration for new projects? The Festival’s Stitch Stage features free demonstrations, presentations and Q&As with some favourite faces from the knit and stitch world. On Saturday 25 March, the Instagram Makers’ Catwalk features garments made and modelled by talented Insta makers, supported by independent pattern makers and fabric companies. 

Last but not least, there’s shopping, with more than 150 specialist retailers under one roof and special Stitch Festival deals to be had, plus all that vibrant Islington has to offer with its stores, restaurants, bars and cafes.  Hot and cold refreshments are available throughout the venue, with seating areas for picnics.

Although I can’t make it to this particular show, I’ve enjoyed the visits to these Stitching Shows in the past. If you fancy a read about those experiences you can read about them here and here.  

Stitch20

So on with the bit you’ve been waiting for! The giveaway details! I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway hurray!!! I’m giving away THREE pairs away here on the blog and TWO pairs away on Instagram.

GIVEAWAY

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is either leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show or do the same over on my Instagram post.

The competition closes on Wednesday 1st February at 7pm (GMT). Winners will be contacted via the email supplied from their comment or by DM on social media.

Tickets are valid after 10am on Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th, Saturday 25th or Sunday 26th March. The organisers will not issue paper tickets. Winners will be emailed a link to register online with a unique code per pair of tickets and will receive e-tickets by email. When entering this competition you must be therefore happy to provide me with a your email address for this purpose, your email address will not be used in any other way.

However if you want some tickets now scroll down for an exclusive special offer!

Giveaway image to win tickets for the Stitch Festival 2023
© The Stitch Festival 2023

SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Advance adult tickets for The Stitch Festival are £16.50 from Thursday to Saturday (concessions £15, children aged 5-18 years £7.50) – transaction fees apply. Full ticket information is available at The Stitch Festival website www.thestitchfestival.co.uk. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment. Opening hours are 10am-5.30pm on Thursday-Saturday and 10am-3pm on Sunday.  Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment. 

But if you want your ticket RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote: CROCHETON23 to get £2 off advance adult tickets /and concessions.

Please note that the discount ends at 23.59pm on Wednesday 22 March 2023.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers! 

Good Luck everyone!

Stay connected

I’d love to stay connected with you so please do sign up to blog (below) and / or my mailing list to get a reminder when new blog posts, giveaways, special offers or new pattern releases are available.

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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Win tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate

EDITED: Giveaway now closed. Winners have now been chosen, congratulations to Suzanne, Jill C and Julie here on the blog and @sarahreedscrochetadventure and @made_by_skoo on Instagram!

How would you like a giveaway to win some FREE tickets to the The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate? If the answers a big woolly and heartfelt yes please – then keep on reading…

The Knitting & Stitching Show is back in Harrogate this year from 17 – 20 November held at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Meet up with like-minded crafters, discuss ideas, learn new skills and shop for your annual craft supplies all under one roof – it’s the ultimate day out for craft lovers. If craft supplies are on your Christmas shopping wish list, there are hundreds of specialist companies under one roof, selling haberdashery, fabric and patterns, sewing machines and equipment, thread and yarn, craft kits, accessories and more, with on-stand demonstrations and show offers to enjoy.  

Whether you’re a knitter, quilter, embroiderer or needle felter, The Knitting & Stitching Show promises inspiration and ideas for every style and stage of stitcher, from complete beginners to experts. Top tutors will be hosting more than 220 hands-on workshops and demonstrations, with a dedicated dressmaking programme and festive, seasonal makes like knitted Christmas gnomes, felted wreaths, fabric baubles and embroidery Robins.   

© The Knitting and Stitching Show 2022

Spectacular galleries by internationally acclaimed textile artists and groups are a highlight of The Knitting & Stitching Show each year. This year’s show is no exception with exhibitions by Aran Illingworth (Hanging on the thread: Portrayal of Poverty), Archana Pathak (Mapping Transience), Maggie Scott (Five Times More), Marcia Bennett-Male (Moments to Myself), The 62 Group at 60 (Essence), Vivienne Beaumont (Seeds, Flowers and Flowing Hair)James Fox, The Quilters’ Guild Collection and Jess Blaustein, the 2022 winner of The Fine Art Textiles Award, supported by The Open College of the Arts. A gallery of winning quilts from The Festival of Quilts 2022 competition includes the stunning Handi Quilter Best in Competition Award winning quilt, Impresión. Tramonto en Venecia, by Inmaculada Gabaldon. 

Sure to put a smile on visitors’ faces is the Hawes Yarnbombers’ Knitted Shrek. The group’s members meet every week at their local pub to knit “without being disturbed by husbands, family, work, household chores or the rest of the world” (their words!). After a great deal of hard work, and with a different theme every year, they have created a collection of delightful  characters from the popular movie to raise money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Swaledale Mountain Rescue. Hawes Yarnbombers will be encouraging other knitters to give yarnbombing a go to raise money for charity while having fun, and will be on hand with some top tips for first-time yarnbombers. 

© The Knitting and Stitching Show 2022

Although I can’t make it to this particular show, I’ve enjoyed the visits to the Knit and Stitching Shows in the past. If you fancy a read about those experiences you can read about them here and here.  

Hot and cold refreshments are available throughout the venue, with seating areas for picnics. Harrogate town centre also offers a wide range of cafés and bars to enjoy, including the famous Betty’s Café Tea Rooms (yum!). 

 © The Knitting and Stitching Show 2022

So on with the bit you’ve been waiting for! The giveaway details! I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway hurray!!! I’m giving away THREE pairs away here on the blog and TWO pairs away on Instagram.

GIVEAWAY

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is either leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show or do the same over on my Instagram post.

The competition closes on Monday 7th November at 5pm (GMT). Winners will be contacted via the email supplied from their comment or by DM on social media.

Tickets are valid after 10am on Thursday 17th, Friday 18th, Saturday 19th or Sunday 20th November 2022. This year the organisers are not issuing paper tickets, winners will be emailed a link to register online with a unique code for one pair of tickets. Winners will then need to register online, enter their codes and they will receive e-tickets by email.  When entering this competition you must be happy to provide me with a your email address for this purpose, your email address will not be used in any other way.

© The Stitch Festival 2022

SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Standard adult advance tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate are £17.00 (concessions £15.50, children under 18 £8.50) with VIP ticket packages starting at £36.00. Full ticket information is available at The Knitting & Stitching Show website www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/harrogate/. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment. 

But if you want your ticket RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote: KEEPCALM22 to get £3 off advance adult tickets (and there’s £3.50 off advance concessions!). Please note that the discount ends at 23.59pm on Wednesday 16th November 2022.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers! 

Good Luck everyone!

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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Yarn Show 2022 | Wool@Jct13 – Get your tickets!

Yarn shows are back, hooray! I think they have definitely been missed. And I for one am super excited to be going back to Wool@Jct13 on 14 – 15 May 2022!

But I’m not going as a visitor this time, I’m actually vending with my Dear Ewe, KCACOUK and Yarnybobs products. In November of last year, I had my first yarn show stand at Wool@Jct13, and I’m delighted to be going back this May (and at the time of year the show is normally held).

If you’ve not heard of Wool@Jct13 before it’s a two day yarn festival held on a family run farm in the pretty market town of Penkridge, South Staffordshire which is just off Junction 13 of the M6.

It’s a show which is just down the road from me and we have been every year (pre-Covid), with the whole family, and it’s been a wonderfully fun day out (you can read about previous visits here, here and here).

The festival is described as a celebration of all things woolly for anyone with an interest in wool and crafts – whether it be knitting, crochet, spinning, weaving or felting.

Over the two days you can expect to find food, drink and music alongside demonstrations, competitions and wool craft workshops – and of course lots yarn themed shopping opportunities!

Tickets are very reasonably priced at £7.50pp on the day or £12.50pp for the full weekend. Getting advanced tickets you can get a bit more of a discount and under 16’s and parking for the day are both free.

If you haven’t yet booked your place for the 2022 show, follow this link for more info and to save money on your advance bookings: https://wool-j13.uk/tickets/

From learning new skills and stocking up on supplies, visitors to Wool@Jct13 are in for a weekend of wool-filled loveliness!

I really hope you will come over and say hi to me (and my lovely mum who is helping me on the day), we’ll be on stand 6A.

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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Win tickets for The Stitch Festival

It’s been AGGEESSS since my last giveaway hasn’t it – so I’m quickly going to rectify that now! How would you like to win FREE tickets to the The Stitch Festival at the Business Design Centre, London?

You’d love the chance – well awesome! Just keep on reading…

The Stitch Festival, formerly known as The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show, is the ultimate day out for craft lovers. The Stitch Festival champions creativity with hundreds of workshops, demonstrations, fashion exhibitions, textile installations, as well as exhibitors selling specialist craft supplies.

Highlights of this years show include the fabulous TOFT’s exhibition Making Women Who Made History, which marks International Women’s Day. The exhibition is a celebration of inspirational, brave and talented women, all made in amigurumi. TOFT launched its first design, Emmeline Pankhurst, on IWD in March 2020. I love TOFT yarn and characters so I bet that’s going to be awesome! And there are going to be over 100 other specialist retailers who will be selling yarn, crochet equipment and craft supplies…swoon right!

 © TOFT 2022

Although the The Stitch Festival showcases all stitch crafts like sewing, knitting, if you are just there for the crochet there are a range of crochet workshops which include:

  • Tapestry Crochet: Flower Power Coaster / Diana Bensted 
  • Mosaic Crochet / Diana Bensted 
  • Crochet an Amigurumi Easter Egg / Diana Bensted 
  • Beginners’ Crochet / Debbie Harris 
  • Crochet your own Perfect Sock / Diana Bensted 
  • Freeform Crochet Scumble / Diana Bensted 
  • Crochet a Granny Square Cushion Cover / Debbie Harris 
  • Make a Mini Crochet Shawl / Diana Bensted 
  • Crochet a Spring Inspired Pen/Pencil Holder / Eleonora Cugin 
© The Stitch Festival 2022

Excitingly this year they also have The Stitch Festival Dressmaking competition is open to all contemporary dressmakers who want the opportunity to share their creations. And it’s not just sewing there is a crochet / knitwear outfit category sponsored by Stylecraft. Basically it could be a chunky knit jumper or a fine knit cardigan, a dress, a scarf or other accessories. Anything goes, but you haven’t long, the entry form with photos must be submitted online by Midday on Friday 11th February.

© The Stitch Festival 2022

Although I can’t make it to this particular show, I’ve enjoyed the visits to them in the past. If you fancy a read about those experiences you can read about them here and here.

It’s so wonderful that craft shows are coming back, I’ve really missed them, but if you are at all concerned or have questions about how the show will work in COVID times The Stitch Festival hold visitor safety as paramount and you can view Immediate Live’s Covid commitment if you have queries about attendance.

 © The Stitch Festival 2022

So on with the bit you’ve been waiting for! The giveaway details! I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway hurray!!! I’m giving away THREE pairs away here on the blog and TWO pairs away on Instagram.

GIVEAWAY

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is either leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show or do the same over on my Instagram giveaway reel post.

The competition closes on Monday 14th February September at 7pm (GMT). Winners will be contacted via the email supplied from their comment or by DM on social media.

Entry is for any one day on any of the dates of the show (3 – 6 March 2022). This year the organisers are not issuing paper tickets, winners will be emailed a link to register online with a unique code for one pair of tickets. Winners will then need to register online, enter their codes and they will receive e-tickets by email.  When entering this competition you must be happy to provide me with a your email address for this purpose, your email address will not be used in any other way.

© The Stitch Festival 2022

SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Advance adult tickets for The Stitch Festival are £15.50 (concessions £14.50, children aged 5-18 years £7.50) from Thursday to Saturday. VIP tickets start at £40. Full ticket information is available at The Stitch Festival website www.thestitchfestival.co.uk. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment. In the event of pandemic-related cancellation, ticket holders will be offered the choice to transfer their booking to 2023 or receive a refund. Transaction fees will be retained.

But if you want your ticket’s RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote: KCACO22 to get an adult ticket for £12.50! That’s £3 off advance adults (and there’s £2 off advance concessions!). Please note that the discount ends at 23.59pm on 2nd March 2022.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers! 

Good Luck everyone!

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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Designer Interview | Red Sparrow Crochet

I’m super excited about my next designer interview because I had the pleasure of actually meeting her in October 2021 at The Crochet Sanctuary.

I’ve been following the lovely Esme, aka Red Sparrow Crochet, for awhile, and you will have no doubt have come across her work on social media and in magazines if you are a crochet fan – she’s become kind of synonymous with mosaic crochet.

In fact she has recently written a book titled ‘Mosaic Crochet Workshop’ – which she very kindly signed [my copy] for me when I met her (squee!), and I wanted to find out a bit more about that, about her in general, how she does it all, and her inspiration and designing process.

Here’s what we chatted about…

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, after many years of living all over the place- London, Brighton, Madrid- I’ve settled back in my beloved Suffolk in the east of England with my family: one Other Half, two teenagers and of course the world’s grumpiest cat Hank Deluxe. I love Suffolk, it’s so wild and rural, it suits my introverted nature very well!

© Red Sparrow Crochet / Esme Crick 2022

I work full time as a freelance crochet designer, as an editor for Scheepjes’ YARN Bookazines, and spend any free time hanging out with the kids, playing Scrabble and Risk, walking, cooking lots of exciting vegetarian food, reading…

How did you discover crochet?

Funny story: I actually saw a woman on the beach crocheting and it was one of those wow moments! She was sitting on a deckchair, hooking away, surrounded by loads of kids but so at ease with herself, so calm amidst the sandcastles and tantrums. My kids were very small at that point and I was craving a new skill, having put away my sewing machine due to inquisitive little fingers (my son was one of those danger kids, always found the trouble!). My lovely friend’s mum, Eileen, taught me the basic crochet stitches at playgroup and that was it. I was smitten. Terrible at it but smitten.

© Red Sparrow Crochet / Esme Crick 2022

How did you become a crochet designer? Do you do it full time? And why is your handle Red Sparrow Crochet?

As is probably the path with many designers, I never intended to become a full time designer, it just built and evolved. I was an English teacher by trade first! I started with selling my designs at craft fairs- I’m the co-founder of an artisan-maker craft collective called The March Hare Collective so I had a ‘natural outlet’ for my work. After a few years of selling finished items (mostly throws and cushions, no surprise there!) I mustered up my courage and asked the lovely editor Claire Montgomerie if she might be interested in my work for Inside Crochet magazine. To my utter shock she said yes, and it was the start of many years designing for Inside Crochet, Simply Crochet, Mollie Makes and Scheepjes. I now mainly self publish my patterns but occasionally take on a magazine design commission if there’s time.

Oh, and the Red Sparrow thing is quite obscure, but the publishing house for Charles Bukowski’s work was called Black Sparrow Press. I’m a big Bukowski fan and I loved the publisher’s name. I have always felt like a little bird, pecking around with bits of fabric and yarn, it seemed suitable. And I was going through a real red obsession at the time!

You have kind of become ‘known’ now for mosaic crochet, what is it about that style of crochet that you love?

It totally makes sense to me, I need pattern and geometric order in my life! I saw a design by Red Heart using the inset crochet technique a few years ago and immediately fell in love with the brilliant yet simple way to draw shapes with yarn!

© Red Sparrow Crochet / Esme Crick 2022

Where do generally find your creative inspiration?

Oh everywhere, I love seeing shapes in nature, architecture, pavements, anywhere and everywhere! Sometimes I’ll see a gorgeous pattern in my mind before I go to sleep, and even in my dreams too. I then have to try and memorise it till the next day as I’m not organised enough to have a notepad by my bed. My brain likes thinking about patterns while I’m trying to get some rest I think!

What does your design process look like? Do you sketch things out first, or do you just like to grab a hook and start?

Charts, it’s all about the charts. I use Stitch Fiddle (which is a fantastic online tool) to create them as I can set them to the same gauge as the work will appear and choose colours very specifically too. I like to work in a very limited but very specific palette. I currently have 437 charts on the go, many of them will stay as rough ideas which may or may not lead onto finished designs.

© Red Sparrow Crochet / Esme Crick 2022

Do you have a favourite creation that you’ve designed?

I suppose my first ever mosaic throw design, Diamond Heart, will always be something I’m really proud of. I self-published it, not knowing of course what people would make of it. It’s been a huge seller, unbelievably popular, it blows me away knowing there are countless versions of it around the world. That’s just crazy! But it gave me the confidence to push myself forwards and literally dedicate myself to designing using the inset version of mosaic crochet non-stop. Which leads perfectly onto your next question…!

© Red Sparrow Crochet / Esme Crick 2022

How did you end up writing a book on mosaic crochet?

So, a few years ago, Ame Verso who is Publishing Director at David and Charles Publishers got in touch and basically told me I needed to write a book of mosaic crochet designs! She’d seen my designs online and must have seen some potential! Once I’d got over the surprise of being approached, I talked to her for a bit, it actually took me two years to agree, but finally I DID agree and Mosaic Crochet Workshop came to life.

Ame and I were supposed to meet for the contract signing but that was in March 2020 and we all know what happened next. So I signed the contract remotely, and spent lockdowns writing the book, doing the day job and homeschooling my son. It’s a bit of a blur now, but suffice to say I’m incredibly proud of the book, the publishers were astonishing in their support and encouragement. All the photography was done under very difficult lockdown conditions, yet the team did an incredible job- the book is more than I ever dreamt it would be. It’s very beautiful and I’m thrilled it’s been so well received.

How do you fit everything in that you want to? Are you strict with yourself and your time or is it a struggle to juggle?

I’m a bit manic, I’m very very organised and disciplined with my work time. It’s not all swanning around all day having lots of coffee breaks and playing with fluffy yarn! I work very hard, I’m extremely focused. I start at 8 in the morning and during busy times will finish at 9-10pm. All creatives will know this (I am sure you know only too well, Heather!) but you can’t switch creativity on and off like a tap. Once you’re on a roll there’s no stopping you is there? So, yes feed the kids, do the housework etc etc but the design work will be waiting to be tackled even if it’s late into the evening.

© Red Sparrow Crochet / Esme Crick 2022

What advice or top tips would you suggest for anyone new to mosaic crochet?

Oh gosh, just enjoy it and don’t tell yourself it’s too hard to try! I get so many messages from people saying they thought they wouldn’t be able to get to grips with the technique as it looks so complicated… they then try it and are so thrilled they can do it!! If you can make a chain, a dc and a tr (UK terms) then you can follow any of my mosaic patterns! In fact, I give a short step by step tutorial at the start of the book- once you have made the small swatch, you can take on any project. It’s perfect- it looks far more impressive than it actually is! My kind of crochet 🙂

What can we expect from Red Sparrow crochet in 2022?

Oh what a question!! Haha I don’t know is the honest answer! I’ll be editing the Scheepjes’ YARN Bookazines as usual, but am weighing up what to focus on this year. There’ll more than likely be some self-published designs (what with the 437 charts and all that)…  and I am toying with the idea of Mosaic Crochet Workshop: The Sequel too!! Let’s see!

© Red Sparrow Crochet / Esme Crick 2022

If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs—such as food and water—were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?

A sheep (can I have an alpaca too so the sheep doesn’t get lonely??) and a sharp knife. That sounds terrifying for the poor sheep, but don’t worry I’m veggie! I’d like to get into spinning wool, and whittling hooks and knitting needles with the knife. I can’t knit for toffee but can just about cast on, so maybe I can figure it out?? Or I’ll just revert to crochet where I’m more comfortable!

Thanks so much for chatting with me, Heather! It’s a pleasure and an honour to share my crochet ramblings with you.

© Red Sparrow Crochet / Esme Crick 2022

Thank you Esme!

I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank Esme for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer these questions. I’ve really enjoyed getting a better understanding of her life and designing process and hope you have too.

Follow Esme everywhere on the web:  BLOG, INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK and you can buy her patterns on RAVELRY and ETSY and her fabulous Mosaic Crochet Workshop book on Amazon.

And if there’s any other designers you’d like to maybe see featured here on the blog, let me know in the comments and I’ll see what I can do!

Make sure you are signed up to blog (below) and / or my mailing list to get a reminder when new blog posts like this one, discounts or new pattern releases are available.

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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Please note that some of the links in my blog are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase via these links, but the price you pay is not affectedYou can read more about my affiliate links here.

Win tickets for Stitching Show at Ally Pally!

It’s been AGGEESSS since my last giveaway hasn’t it – so I’m quickly going to rectify that now! How would you like to win FREE tickets to the Knitting and Stitching Show at the Alexandra Palace?

You’d love the chance – well awesome! Just keep on reading…

If you’ve not heard about the The Knitting & Stitching Shows before, and are wondering if you want to enter or not, they are the UK’s biggest textile art, craft and design events. Events are run in various locations usually four times per year and there are LOADS of exciting features for crochet fans!

© The Knitting and Stitching Show

But if you dabble in other crafts, alongside crochet, there are things for needle felting to embroidery to dressmaking –  in fact pretty much covering every textile craft imaginable. And the show is great for complete beginners, experts or folks somewhere in between, as there are demo’s and workshops to try, or you can just fill your boots looking at all the crafty and yarny goodness!

© The Knitting and Stitching Show

In fact for this show, in The Creative Living Theatre, there are going to be free, 30-minute demonstrations to inspire future crochet projects including Tapestry Crochet: Fair Isle Techniques with Diana Bensted.

And for those visitors wanting to learn new skills, The Knitting & Stitching Show’s Learning Curve workshop programme is extensive! Offering over 250 workshops with top tutors where crocheters could have the opportunity to learn how to make seasonal snowflakes, Christmas baubles and mini amigurumi monsters or baskets, owls, scarves and fingerless mitts.

And there are over 350 specialist retailers who will be selling yarn, crochet equipment and craft supplies…swoon right!

© The Knitting and Stitching Show

I’ve attended different shows, and really enjoyed each visit, so I feel that I can tell you about them with experience, but if you want to read my FULL experience of the shows (you may want to get a cuppa before hand) then you can check out when I visited London Olympia earlier this year here or the time I went to the show at the Ally Pally here.

I was excited to see that Italian textile artist and contemporary crochet designer Luisa De Santi, will be showcasing her amazing work again at the Ally Pally.

© The Knitting and Stitching Show

I was amazed by her extraordinary exhibition when I saw it earlier this year. Magical Crochet Spells features colourful three-dimensional artworks, soft sculptures and jewellery that is just amazing and inspiring! Her work really is something to see – I also got the pleasure of meeting her in person too and she was lovely!

© The Knitting and Stitching Show

Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to make the show on this occasion, as I already had family plans on this date, but just because I can’t go doesn’t mean that you have to miss out because I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway hurray!!!

Giveaway

The tickets are for redeemable any day except Saturday 12th October  for the Knitting and Stitching show at the Alexandra Palace which runs from 10th – 13th October 2019.

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is to leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show. 

The competition closes on Wednesday 18 September at 7pm (GMT). Winners will be contacted via the email supplied from their comment.

Special Discount

But if you want your ticket’s RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote KEEPCALM19 and you can save £2.50 on advance adult ticket price (£13.50 instead of £16.00 adult advance/£13.00 instead of £14.50 concessions), plus £1.95 fulfilment fee per transaction (£2.50 for posted tickets). 

This discount is for advanced bookings only and can be redeemed before 23:59pm (GMT) on Wednesday 9 October. Tickets can be booked online here  or by calling 0844 873 7343 and quoting the discount code. Full Terms and Conditions are available on the show website.  Information is correct at the time of writing.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers! 

Good Luck everyone! Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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Designer Interview | Zeens and Roger

I’m dead excited about my next designer interview because I had the pleasure of actually meeting her recently at The Crochet Sanctuary – and if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my fan girl moment in my stories. It’s the lovely Rosina aka Zeens and Roger !!!

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I’ve been following Rosina since I was told about her vlogcasts on Youtube. Her down to earth, say it like it is, podcast episodes are amongst my favourite podcasts to listen to and watch.

You will have also no doubt, if you are a crochet fan, have seen her awesome Instagram feed and come across some of her lovely designs in magazines like Inside Crochet. She has also, more recently, branched out (pun intended) into hook whittling in her new collaboration Kirk and Roger creating some beautiful handmade hooks.

Kirk and Roger Handmade Hooks
© zeensandroger.com

With so much going on I wanted to find out a bit more about Rosina, how she does it all, her inspiration and her designing process. Here’s what we chatted about…

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

I grew up in Southampton but I’ve spent half my life in Devon. I moved to Exeter in the late 90’s to study Art History at uni and never left. For the last ten years I’ve lived in an old town just outside of Exeter. It’s sandwiched between the countryside and the coast. I love it!  I’ve worked at a cinema (I still love the smell of popcorn), in social housing (I was rubbish at it) and in HR (interesting stuff). I still dream about working at the cinema even though it was nearly twenty years ago.

How did you discover crochet?

Let’s not count the failed attempts as a child. Instead, I think I can really only say that it was a year after I had my first baby, so nearly 9 years ago. It’s probably a familiar story amongst crafters. Something about starting a family kick started the creativity again (after years of not doing anything crafty). My baby boy received handmade blankets from my family and I wanted in on the action! I started to crochet because I wanted my children to have things I’d made for them.  I bought a beginners book and found a YouTube video that I liked and began to make a very long and very uneven chain. 

© zeensandroger.com

How did you become a crochet designer?

I don’t remember a time that didn’t have me going “off pattern”. However, the first thing I properly designed was a little granny owl decoration. It was the first time I’d written out a pattern anyway. That was around four/five years ago. I remember fretting that I’d never get another idea again. But the wondrous thing about being a crochet addict is that you always want more! The more you do it, the more ideas you get.

In the autumn of 2016 I sent out a few emails to magazines offering my ideas. I was thrilled that one of my ideas was accepted by Inside Crochet (my favourite crochet mag). It was such a buzz and a huge confidence booster!

One Way or Another Shawl
© zeensandroger.com

Where do you generally find your creative inspiration?

I honestly don’t have a clue half the time. Colour is a biggy as I expect it is for everyone. I’m inspired by what my peers/friends are doing too, I think we’re all influenced by the same trends and it’s fascinating to see how we all interpret them differently. My favourite ideas are often the ones that pop in my head from nowhere. But it might be a holiday, pretty wrapping paper or a bonkers conversation and all of a sudden you’re presented with an image of a thing that you have to make and you have to make it NOW!

© zeensandroger.com

What does your design process look like? Do you sketch things out first, or do you just like to grab a hook and go?

It’s haphazard! I don’t have a particular routine but I do like to make sketches. The starting point might be the pretty wrapping paper but it might also be a crochet stitch I’ve never seen before. If I fall in love with it I have to use it in something. Or I might lust after some special yarn I’ve seen, which has to be turned into a shawl or blanket.

Release the Hounds Shawl
© zeensandroger.com

Do you have a favourite creation that you’ve designed?

I often end up hating the designs I’ve come up with and can’t wait to see the back of them! (I probably spend way too much time with the frog/rework process to have any love left). It’s not always true though, I do have pieces I’m very proud of. My C2C projects make me happy. All the yarn tangling of Havana Nights was worth it in the end! At the moment my favourites are two shawls, Release the Hounds and Hinterland, mostly for their simplicity. Sometimes simple is best! 

Havana Nights Blanket
© zeensandroger.com

How and why did you start making your own hooks?

I’d seen other crocheters explore the idea and fancied having a hook for myself. I asked my friend, Paul to make one for me as his hobby is woodwork. He showed me how to make them and also suggested selling them. It’s quite addictive but I break a lot of sticks trying to make the perfect hook (and I get blisters!). I really should leave the hook making to him and I’ll stick to crochet! Kirk & Roger is a small sideline for us both, it’s fun and no pressure. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed working with someone else. We’re a good team!

What made you decide to start your own podcast?

The number one reason was because my friends in real life reeaalllly weren’t interested in hearing me blather on about crochet all the time. I get way too excited about yarn, patterns, design work etc and you can see eyes begin to glaze over. I thought it’d be a nice outlet for me to find like-minded people to engage with. For me it’s easier than blogging; I just sit down and hit record. I’m more of a talker than a writer. 

How do you fit everything in that you want to? Are you strict with yourself and your time or is it a struggle to juggle?

I don’t fit everything in. Not by a long shot. I’m a world class procrastinator and am not strict on myself at all. I reckon I could double my output if I only learned how to be more disciplined. It can be very tricky to stay motivated when you work from home. I force myself to sit at the computer and write those patterns! It’s much easier when working to a deadline for a magazine, there’s an end goal… But I’ll still leave it to the last minute.

© zeensandroger.com

What advice would you have for any budding crochet designer, small business owner or podcaster who might like to follow in your footsteps?

Just do it. Start today. If you want to do it, just give it a go!  I didn’t have a clue what I was doing but I can confirm that there is never a right time. None of what I do ever looks as good as the next person’s, there is always someone out there who does it way better. But I love it, so I do it anyway. I’ve definitely improved since I hit publish on that first episode, but I am always working towards getting better.

Tomorrow you step outside and find a lottery ticket that ends up winning £100 million. What would you do?

Buy a house big enough to have a craft room. Pay someone to write up my patterns and pay another person to sew in ends. I’d also like to have a yarn and craft shop, supporting local makers and creatives. Oh, and it would be amazing to go to all the yarn shops, all over the world. I want to see what’s out there.

I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank Rosina again for taking time to answer these questions. I’ve really enjoyed getting a better understanding of what’s involved with in her designing process and hope you have too!

You can follow Rosina everywhere on the web:  BLOG, YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK and you can buy her patterns on RAVELRY and ETSY

Until next time – keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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My visit to Spring The Knitting & Stitching Show 2019

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Howdy folks, how was your weekend? Mine was a greatly creative one! Mum and I went down to The Knitting and Stitching Show in Olympia London for a weekend away and we had such fun! 

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I’m feel that I should start with a photo of one of the showstopping photos I took of The Enchanted Wood by the Norfolk Knitters just to entice you in…

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Though you might just want to grab a cuppa before you start to read the rest of today’s post, as it’s a bit of a long one with lots of photos… right…you all sorted..then I shall begin. 

Have you ever visited a craft show? For a craft lover it’s like a little slice of heaven! The Olympia London may not be as grand a venue as The Alexandra Palace we visited a couple of years ago (you read about that here) but it was still a jam packed with lots of stitching themed loveliness! 

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After a uneventful journey from Staffordshire (which is always the best kind of journey) we got to the show about midday on the Saturday which was the third day of the show. All the knitting and knitting show events run for a whopping four or five days so there’s usually plenty of time to attend one (or more) of the show dates.  

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As we were going to be there for two days we decided to be fairly systematic in our approach – the venue was kind of split into two sections, so we thought we’d spend the first day in one half and the second in the next. This worked out pretty well and we got time to see everything we wanted to and have a bit of time to chat to folks – which is the bit I love!

Guess what! We got to chat with the very lovely Katie Jones of Katie Jones Knit

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If you follow Katie, as I do, on Instagram (KatieJonesKnit) you will know that she’s a lover of vibrant bright designs and bold colour combinations. So as you can imagine her stand was just a fantastic pop of colour…and isn’t her t-shirt just the most awesome thing!

We got to see a close up of her amazing Blooming Bomber (which is a FREE download from Katie’s website)…

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and the stunning Casa Kahlo Blanket which I just adore (this is ALSO a FREE download from Katie’s website). 

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She was such a delight to talk to, she’s done so much and worked with so many different people, and was telling us a bit about her history in the fashion industry and how she’s now concentrating on her Make-It-Yourself collections. 

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We then thought it best to stop monopolising Katie’s time and go and see some of the other things on offer.

Around the corner from Katie’s stand was the Zandra Rhodes exhibit, which was a showcase of garments celebrating iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes’ 50th anniversary.

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Zandra Rhodes is well known for her bold iconic prints and this collection was no exception, really interesting to see these statement pieces up close. So much inspiration!

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The next stand I was excited to go and see was the fabulous exhibition from the Italian textile artist and designer Luisa De Santi with her Magical Crochet Spells.

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Up close it is just the most stunning work! She was explaining to us that everything she crocheted for Crochet Magic Spells was with sort of embroidery cotton and a 2.5mm (US size C/2) hook! Some of her pieces are really quite big so I can’t even imagine the length of time it took to create them.

Crochet Magic Spells (of which you can buy the book of here from Luisa’s website) is just such a wonderful fusion of crochet and embroidery! She was so kind in taking some time to tell us more about her pieces – she’s such a lovely lady.

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Much of her work, she says, is just created in an organic way, she may sketch a rough idea but she just lets her pieces develop and grow into the fantabulous pieces of art that they are. Her work is just so intricate and seeing it all up close it just amazing as you can really see and appreciate all the detail, it really was a magical collection.

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Around the corner from Luisa was some of  Catherine Kaufman’s sculptures. Catherine is a sculptor but not in a traditional sense as her medium is wool. She spins it and needle felts it into large scale sculptures that are just unbelievable!

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We did some more browsing of stalls and then found ourselves at Sue Strafford’s stand. I’ve seen Sue’s name a lot in Let’s Get Crafting Knitting and Crochet magazine so it was really lovely to put a name to a face. And actually my yarn purchase from the show came from her stand!

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I completely fell in love with the yarn colourway (by Skein Queen) that she’d used on her Voltage Shawl – so I bought the kit for the yarn (Sue didn’t mind)! The knitting pattern actually hasn’t gone to waste as it went to knitter mum who’s going to have a go at making it (though not with the yarn because that’s all mine!). Just take a look at these beauties!

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Meet urban graffiti, charcoal and neon kiwi! Every time I look at them it makes me ridiculously happy! Aren’t they just gorgeous! Sadly I don’t have the time to play with them at the moment, as I’m working on commissions, but I can’t wait till I do! I’m thinking some sort of shawl but the design hasn’t come to me yet!

After all that it was pretty much the end of day one! We’d walked our legs off and needed a bit of a rest! For the start of Day 2 we had already decided we were going to do a workshop.

I always like to take the opportunity at craft shows to try a craft that’s completely different to my own. I’ve found it’s really enjoyable to attempt something I probably wouldn’t otherwise and so that’s how we found ourselves at the RowanDean Embroidery stand.

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The workshop was to play around with some techniques that the lovely Katrina from RowanDean has developed in her book Hand Stitched Landscapes and Wild Flowers (available here). And what fun it was! Mum and I spent such an enjoyable couple of hours creating our little wild flower scenes – who knew that french knots could be so addictive!

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Both mum and I bought a little hanging hoop in which we can display our finished pieces and once I’ve just added a few more french knots (they really are ever so addictive) I’m going to hang mine above my desk at home.

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And now if you were pulled into this post by the Enchanted Wood image at the start then you’ll be delighted to know that, that was our next stop! And can I just say WOW! It was just unbelievable! Fairies, elves, unicorns, gnomes to name a few in a stunning magical knitted and crochet setting.

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Everywhere you looked there was something new to see…

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A veritable feast for the eyes!

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Such a wonderful collection of creativity – and I really also now want to make a crochet tree!

Next it was my complete and absolute delight to meet the one and only Erika Knight! Erika, as you probably well know, is is a highly respected knitwear and crochet designer, who has published more than 20 booked on knitting and crochet. Her designs are always classic yet modern (if that makes sense) and are what I would class as wardrobe staples that you’d get a lot of wear out of. I’ve got to admit I was a bit intimidated to meet her but she’s so lovely!

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We were chatting for ages about various things including my goal (to some day) crochet myself a wearable garment, my mum’s crocheted wedding dress and Erika’s love of supporting British manufacturing and wool.

As well as designing Erika also has her own yarn label and she asked me if I’d like to try some yarn that she’s designed especially for crocheters. I squeaked my surprised thank you at her lovely generosity and she allowed me to pick a 50g hank of her Studio Linen to try. I picked the colour Velvet which is a rich, dark heather / auberginy sort of purple.

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I’m thinking maybe some lacy summer mitts or maybe a skinny scarf when I get a moment to play!

There’s was so much more than this that we saw over the weekend and so many wonderful other people we met but I think that this blog post is getting quite long enough!

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Hopefully you get the general idea about the show and maybe fancy attending one yourself.  The Knitting and Stitching Show runs in several venues across the UK with two dates in London each year, the next one for London is in October – you can sign up for the latest news about the shows by subscribing to the newsletter (link on the bottom of the website).

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I had my step counter on whilst walking round the event and over the two days we walked the equivalent of 9.6 miles (15.6km) so it was great exercise whilst enjoying ourselves! Aside from the yarn and the frame for my embroidery I bought myself a few bits and bobs including some new scissors, some copies of magazines I hadn’t got, a fun £20 note themed hook case, some material that I wanted and some more safety eyes – I didn’t go too crazy (for once).

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Like all the craft events I’ve attended the show is not only about the pretty things I have the opportunity to buy it’s about the people I got to meet. If you get the chance to go to a future Knitting and Stitching Show I can thoroughly recommend it.

Before I finish off this post I’m just going to say a quick thank you to the organisers of the show for my complimentary tickets and goodie bag and for also giving me a press badge – I seriously will never lose the glee of that! 

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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Win tickets to The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show 2019

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EDITED: GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED, congratulations to Heidi Bradshaw, Sharon Bowles, Candida Carvalho, Cristiana Alexandra Ferreiro do Vale,  Jackie Walter and Michelle Smith! 

Hey folks, would you like a chance to win some FREE day tickets to the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show at London Olympia? 

I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets, most generously donated by the shows organisers, for all you lovely readers – plus they’ve also set up a nice discount on ticket prices for anyone that doesn’t win (more about that in a moment).

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© The Knitting and Stitching Show

If you love a good craft show, which of course I do, and you aren’t familiar with the Knitting and Stitching Show then you are really missing something. These shows are the UK’s biggest textile art, craft and design events and the Spring show will open its doors to thousands of crafters for FIVE whole days at London Olympia on Thursday 28 February until  Sunday 1 March 2019.

You may remember I went to one of the shows back in 2017 with my lovely mum  and we had a blast (you can read about that visit here). So we are going back down to the show  together again this year for more crafty fun!

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© keepcalmandcrochetonuk.com

Any hoo, if you want to go straight to the details on how to win tickets scroll to the bottom of this page, if you’ve got a few more minutes I just want to tell you about another couple of things that’s happening at this years Spring show…

I for one am extremely excited to see the amazing work by Italian textile artist and designer Luisa De Santi who is bringing her extraordinary knit, crochet and embroidery work to the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show. Her exhibition called Magical Crochet Spells sounds like something not to be missed out on! I’ve seen some of the photos of her work and it’s just so intriguing!  

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© The Knitting and Stitching Show / Magical Crochet Spells by designer Luisa De Santi

Lucia creates complex and colourful 3-D modular structures that are amazing and mind-boggling, weird and wonderful all at the same time and I can’t wait to see them in the flesh! 

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© The Knitting and Stitching Show / Magical Crochet Spells by designer Luisa De Santi

I’m also looking forward to seeing The Fashion and Textile Museum who are hosting a 50 Years of Fabulous. They are doing a showcase with a collection of garments from its forthcoming exhibition celebrating iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes’ 50th anniversary. Although I don’t sew I do admire those that can (and I LOVE The Great British Sewing Bee) so I bet that’s going to be a whole lot of  fabulous fun to see!

dame zandra rhodes. photograph by simon emmett. copyright zandra rhodes ltd

© Photograph by Simon Emmett. Copyright Zandra Rhodes Ltd

I also can’t wait to see the stunning Enchanted Wood – an elaborate scene of
knitted and crocheted magical creatures created by the Louise Hamilton Knit and Yarn Group and Norfolk Knitters and Stitchers. It looks so amazing doesn’t it!

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© The Knitting and Stitching Show / Enchanted Wood

Ooo the more I’m writing about it, the more excited I’m getting! As well as all these exhibits there’s going to be over 150 exhibitors selling specialist craft supplies (including yummy yarn that needs to come home with me), and there’s going to be hundreds of workshops and demonstrations too. I’m still looking at the full workshop list deciding what to do as there are so many I just want to do!

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© The Knitting and Stitching Show

Spend a day re-stocking your yarn stash, learning to knit, mastering the art of tailoring and just so much more. There has never been a better excuse to go to a show – it’s been designed for us to enjoy to the max!

Right enough enthusing from me, I think you get that I’m quite excited about going, let’s get on to how YOU can win tickets to the show…

Giveaway

I’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway and the tickets are for redeemable any day except Saturday 2nd March. These tickets are only for the Spring Knitting and Stitching show at the Olympia London which runs from 28th February until 3rd March 2018.

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is to leave a comment on the bottom of this blog post about why you’d like to go to the show.  The competition closes on Thursday January 31st 2019 at 7pm (GMT) with the winners being announced later that evening here on the blog. Good Luck Everyone!

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© The Knitting and Stitching Show

Special Discount

But if you want your ticket’s RIGHT NOW I’ve also got a special discount for you! Just quote KCACO19 and get £2 off any advance adult ticket or £1 off any advance concessionary ticket.  This means that tickets will be £12 instead of £14/£13 (please not there is a £1.75 fulfilment fee per transaction). 

This discount is for advanced bookings only and can be redeemed before 23:59pm on Wednesday 27th February.  Tickets can be booked online https://www.theknittingandstitchingshow.com/spring/ or by calling 0844 581 1319 and quoting the discount code.  

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering this special deal to my lovely KCACO.UK readers and maybe we will catch up with some of you at the show?

Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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