Fibre Friends Chat | CrocheYay – Olivia Dieterich

Posted in Blogging, British Crochet Designer, Crochet, Designer Interview, Inspiration by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I’m so excited to be bringing another Fibre Friend Chat to the KCACOUK blog — and this one is extra special! Please give a warm welcome to the wonderfully creative and kind-hearted Olivia Dieterich, creative force behind @CrochYaY.

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Olivia Dieterich is pictured smiling with long hair in front of a brick wall, below in a collage is colourful crochet projects and a book titled 'Random Acts of Crochet Kindness'.

If you’ve followed Olivia’s work online, you’ll know she is the inspiring mind behind Random Acts of Crochet Kindness, a movement that’s bringing comfort, colour, and connection to strangers around the world through yarn. Her UK-based Facebook group now has over 350,000 members, and affiliated groups have since been created all over the world. She’s just released a beautiful new book too, and I couldn’t wait to find out more.

Here’s what we chatted about…

Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and how @CrochyaY came to be?

I’ve always loved crafts, I spent a lot of time with my nan growing up and she taught me every craft under the sun – apart from crocheting! This ended up being the craft that I fell in love with and it made her so proud as it was the one thing she could never figure out how to do. Crocheting has always brought me so much joy, it’s kept me safe during moments where I’ve struggled with my mental health, and it’s given me such a sense of achievement with the things I’ve made. I wanted to start posting these things online, and that’s where Crochyay was born!

A crocheted envelope featuring a pink heart design, placed on a pink background next to yarn and a crochet hook. The caption reads, 'I love that through doing something that I enjoy, I can bring happiness into the world.' — © 2025 Search Press – Random Acts of Crochet Kindness

Has fibre art always been a creative outlet for you — or did it become more meaningful during a particular season of life?

Fibre art has always been a creative outlet for me, and I’ve done all different kinds since I was about 8 years old, but it was when I was 17-20 years old that it really became a huge coping strategy for me. I had a mental health crisis and was struggling with every day life. During this time crocheting was a thing that helped me survive my darkest moments, the colours, textures, patterns, counting helped me stay grounded in the present moment and distracted from everything else going on in my head. Sitting down to crochet felt like a big comfort during that time.
You’re the founder of Random Crochet Acts of Kindness — for those who might not have heard of it, can you tell us what it is and how it all started?

Random Acts of Crochet Kindness (RAOCK) began after I completed a personal challenge of crocheting one flower a day for 100 days, and leaving it out for a stranger to find. I called this challenge Random Acts of Crochet Kindness. When I was about half way through, my challenge got picked up by the BBC and they made a video about what I was doing. I was flooded with requests from people saying they wanted to do the same thing, and asking how they could get involved. I started the group Random Acts of Crochet Kindness so there was a space for people to share their makes, and their finds. I have been overwhelmed by how this group has grown, and it is now an incredible community of love and kindness through crocheting, all over the world.

A collection of colorful crocheted appliques including a sun, cloud, ice cream cone, campfire, flower, rainbow, ladybug, and clover, accompanied by the text: 'The Random Acts of Crochet Kindness Group is now an incredible community of love and kindness through crocheting, all over the world!' — © 2025 Search Press – Random Acts of Crochet Kindness

Do you remember a project that felt like a real turning point — where you truly felt you were translating emotion into yarn?

I lost a close friend to suicide in 2018, and the grief I felt was unbearable. I wanted to do something for her funeral, so I decided to crochet her a flower bouquet. I thought of her through every stitch, I poured love into every flower that I made, and whilst making it I felt like I had time just to honour her memory, and to let myself feel however I needed to feel. There were definitely lots of tears shed whilst making it, but it helped me so much.

How has the RAOCK project grown or evolved since it began? What kind of responses have you received from people who’ve found or taken part in it?

When it began, it was just something to help me through a difficult time, and maybe bring a smile to peoples faces. I never could have anticipated the responses that I received, and how many other people would want to get involved. The RAOCK project has now evolved into a worldwide kindness movement. What I see time and time again is that people find a RAOCK, they love it so much, and they say ‘now I want to get involved.’ Kindness is contagious, and people are realising the power they have to make the world a better place through such a small gesture. I’ve received responses from people who have said things like ‘I was really struggling with my mental health, but I found this RAOCK and it’s given me hope, because it made me feel joy again,’ and ‘my child was really upset today, and I was struggling with parenting, but we found this RAOCK and it cheered them up, and helped me get through the day.’
People who leave RAOCK’s have said that it gives them a sense of purpose, it helps with their mental health, it makes them feel that they have the power to have a positive impact on the world.

A hand holding a crocheted lavender cat face, with a pink nose and black whiskers, alongside a yellow cat face and a white circle on a pink background accompanied by the text: 'The Random Acts of Crochet Kindness project has now evolved into a worldwide kindness movement' — © 2025 Search Press – Random Acts of Crochet Kindness

You’ve just released a new book! Can you tell us what inspired it and what readers can expect to find inside?

I have! It’s very exciting. I wanted to create a book that encapsulates Random Acts of Crochet Kindness from start to finish. I have heard so many people say that they want to get involved, but they just don’t know where to start, or on a day where they’re struggling with their mental health, they feel overwhelmed with deciding what to make. The idea of the book is that someone can pick it up, and know from start to finish exactly what to do. On the days where a person can’t think of what to do for themselves, the book can guide and support through the whole process, making it as easy as possible. This includes reasons why you should do RAOCK, mental health benefits, how to crochet, beginner friendly patterns, tag templates and ideas for writing them, and where you can leave them. The book, Random Acts of Crochet Kindness, includes quotes from people who have both left and found RAOCK’s, showing why they love it so much and how it’s helped them.
Is there a piece you’ve created that you feel especially emotionally connected to? Can you tell us the story behind it?

I crocheted a blue butterfly and left it at an airport on my way back from holiday. I received a message from a lady who said she’d found the butterfly, and wanted to explain how much it meant to her. Her son had recently passed away, and she said that blue was her sons favourite colour. She felt that finding this RAOCK was a message from him, and gave her hope and strength to keep going. This message showed me just how much of an impact you can have with a small act of kindness. You never know what someone is going through, but by taking 15 minutes to make a RAOCK, you might be the reason a person feels able to keep going, or the reason a person smiles, and I think that’s incredible.

A crocheted watermelon slice surrounded by colorful pom-poms, with a pink and white patterned notebook in the background and a quote that says 'Kindness is contagious, and people are realising the power they have to make the world a better place through such a small gesture'. — © 2025 Search Press – Random Acts of Crochet Kindness

What advice would you give to someone who’s going through a hard time and wants to turn to crochet (or any fibre art) as an emotional outlet?
I would say try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Make the things that bring you joy, and let yourself make mistakes or change your mind with what you’re making. When I feel tense or anxious, I feel that in my crocheting. Tune in to how you’re feeling, try to relax, slow down your breathing, and get lost in the stitches. If you focus on the colours, the pattern, one stitch at a time, it can be really grounding, and for a short while your mind can take a break from what is going on in your life. When I was at my lowest point, crocheting was the thing that kept me safe, because I kept saying to myself ‘just do one more stitch, one more stitch,’ and eventually my difficult moment had passed. Don’t underestimate the power of fibre art for your mental wellbeing.
What can we look forward to from @CrocheYaY in the near future? Any themes or projects you’re excited to explore?

I’d love to continue exploring the benefit of putting kindness into the world on a person’s mental health, both for adults and children. I hope I can do this by writing more books, doing crochet workshops, and partnering with mental health charities. I’ve also noticed how much children love getting involved with RAOCK, so I’d love to make it more accessible to them, I’ve started writing a children’s book about kindness through crafts, and would love to have this published one day.

A colourful crocheted flower with a smiling face and a vibrant rainbow design with a pink pencil and a blank tag placed on a marble background. The image features a quote that says 'You have the power to make the world a better place, with one crocheted act of kindness at a time'. — © 2025 Search Press – Random Acts of Crochet Kindness

And just for fun – if your yarn had magical powers, what emotion would you most want it to help people with?

This was such a difficult decision, but I think I would choose anxiety. I struggle to sit with this emotion, the shaky hands, the heart palpitations, the feeling of panic, I’d love to be able to let that emotion melt away with the yarn, leaving a sense of peace.

A huge thank you to Olivia for sharing her heart, her story, and her stitches. I’ve struggled with my own mental health at times and crochet was definitely (and continues to be) a massive help, so many of her comments really hit home for me. If you’d like to join the RAOCK movement, check out her Instagram @CrochYaY and grab a copy of her brand-new book — it’s a gentle invitation to spread kindness, one stitch at a time.

And stay tuned — I’ll be sharing my full review of Olivia’s Random Acts of Crochet Kindness book tomorrow here on the blog! You won’t want to miss it. 💛

Olivia Dieterich stands outside a bookstore holding her crochet book, 'Random Acts of Crochet Kindness,' smiling at the camera. — © 2025 Search Press – Random Acts of Crochet Kindness

If you enjoyed this interview you can catch up on all the other designer chats and discussions with other people in the fibre industry in my Fibre Friends series. 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

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 affected. You can read more about my affiliate links here.

15Jul2024

Fibre Friends Chat | The Yarn Whisperer

Posted in Blogging, British Crochet Designer, Crochet, Designer Interview, Inspiration by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

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 Kitey aka The Yarn Whisperer.

Fibre Friends Chat with The Yarn Whisperer on the Keep Calm and Crochet On UK blog.

I’m absolutely delighted to include this latest chat! Kitey creates the most delicious hand-
dyed yarn that are just delightful to work with, and as well as dying yarn, he crochets,
he knits, he tapestries (is that right?), and he hosts a weekly stitch and b*tch social and he’s a fellow small business owner.

As you probably know Kitey and I have been working on a number of fun crochet make-alongs since 2020 after meeting on Zoom during the first UK COVID lockdown. And sometimes I get the opportunity to catch up with him in person like I did last years Carry on Crafting Festival.

Selfie of Kitey and me at Carry on Crafting in 2023

As our SEVENTH Mischievous Magpie make-along soon comes to an end I thought it would be nice to know more about his creative processes and about him in general. Here’s what we chatted about…

Hi Kitey, can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
Hey Heather, I’m an ex-primary teacher (for almost 30 years!) and now work for
myself as an Indie yarn dyer and crochet teacher. I grew up in Sydney, Australia and
have lived mostly in the UK since 1992, with a 3 year stint teaching out in Abu Dhabi,
UAE.

How did you become a yarn dyer? Do you do it full time?
I started experimenting with dyeing yarn in 2019 and opened Yarn Whisperer (YW) in Jan 2020, dyeing yarn part time while working as a teacher a couple of days a week. Then the
pandemic happened. Schools ended supply teacher contracts (to save on furlough!)
so I leaned into the opportunity to work from home and for myself full time.

This year I’m also leaning into my teaching experience still further and am teaching
more crochet workshops. I am also doing more pop-up shops at yarn shops and
social groups. I will be teaching my first workshop at Ally Pally later this year too!

Image of Kitey covered in lots of different knitted shawls he has made. He is also holding some knitting needles as he starts his next work in progress. — © The Yarn Whisperer 2024

What is your morning routine look like?
Coffee … first cup hot, second served as a Greek Frappe in the warmer months
(instant, frothed in about 10ml of cold water, served with ice and cold water!) while
catching up on social media and planning my day.

On dyeing days, I’ll get the first batches of yarn ready and set it to soaking in cold
water. Then it’s dyeing, packing orders, post office runs, filming and photography for
socials and marketing, writing up crochet patterns, working on wips, workshop and
display projects, and all the other things! It’s just me so I wear all the hats.

Collage of different dye pans as created by The Yarn Whisperer and an image of some pretty variegated yarn when the dying is finished. — © The Yarn Whisperer 2024

What’s the most difficult part of being a yarn dyer?
I love it so it doesn’t feel difficult – it’s true that if you do the thing you love, you’ll
never work a day in your life! – but it’s also true that pans are heavy and back pain is
real. Show prep takes ages and shows are long hours of standing around .. but I
wouldn’t change that as it’s such a privilege to be part of other people’s creative
process too!

Have you always been crafty?
Yeah, I’ve tried everything from glass painting, bead looming to origami, and crafts
too many to list here!

You really seem to enjoy all sorts of crafts, if you were on a desert island and
could only pick one to do, what would it be?
I’d take knitting probably as it’s usually what I have on a plane, and you can be sure
I’d be making fabulous shell jewellery and sandcastles too! wink

Collage image which includes Kitey on a train crafting the day away alongside a close up of some of the Yarn Whisperer Yarn knitted up, and close up of Kitey's hands with knitting needles. — © The Yarn Whisperer 2024

You design too don’t you? Do you sketch things out first, or do you just like to
grab some yarn and start?
I tend to have an idea in my head and then just grab yarn and start. I sometimes go
through books of crochet stitches or research knitting techniques on YouTube (I
have a huge amount of private playlists on there!)

Do you have a favourite creation or product that you’ve designed?
I loved designing my Crocheted Terrarium pattern and have absolutely loved
teaching it in workshops because it’s more like a recipe of techniques and everyone
creates something truly unique. I love being able to facilitate the creative process for
others.

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 it all in. I’m really hoping cloning technology advances soon! I can juggle
(tennis racquets and balls – my tennis lessons as a child were not wasted!) and I use
this juggling skill daily. I set times to do ‘bits’ of projects and get it all done in lots of
bits rather than sitting with one thing for hours on end.

What makes you passionate and gets you motivated?
Learning has always been my passion. Crafting, knitting, crochet or whatever is just
learning plus time and dedication. Everyone can do it. You just have to start, then
keep going!

What can we expect to see from you in the rest of 2024?
More yarn, more pop up shops, more workshops. New patterns and projects

Collage of beautiful handdyed yarn as created by The Yarn Whisperer in various different shades. — © The Yarn Whisperer 2024

And just for fun; You’re a new addition to a yarn shade range. What colour
would you be and why?
Probably a variegated skein of hand dyed, with all the colours, moody black and grey
tones and neon pops. I’d call it ‘Wherever next?’ because I just love the idea that
creativity is ever changing and evolving.

I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank Kitey for taking time to chat to me. I’ve
really enjoyed getting to know him better and hope you have too.
Follow Kitey everywhere on the web: www.YarnWhisperer.co.uk,
@the_YarnWhisperer (insta) and @iwantyarn (facebook) and you can buy his yarn
and patterns on his website.

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Pinterest Collage for The Yarn Whisperer Fibre Friends chat on the Keep Calm and Crochet On UK blog.

If you enjoyed this interview you can catch up on all the other designer chats and discussions with other people in the fiber industry in my Fibre Friends series. 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

20Nov2023

My visit to The Knitting & Stitching Show 2023

Posted in Blogging, Days Out, Getting Crafty, Inspiration, Life, Outings, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Disclaimer: I received two free press tickets to attend The Knitting and Stitching Show from the show organisers. However I have not been financially compensated by the company to write this blog post. All opinions expressed are my own and based on my own experiences of my visit.

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

Image of a hand holding a show guide for the Knitting and Stitching Show Harrogate 2023

This year the show, which is held over four days, was on 16 – 19 November 2023 held at the Harrogate Convention Centre. After am early start and rather an epic journey (3 trains later) mum and I arrived into the city just before midday. After dropping our bags off at a nearby Travelodge we made our way straight to the show.

Images of the crowds at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate

Have you ever visited a Knitting and Stitching show? For craft lovers it’s like a little slice of heaven! So much to see and do and featuring hundreds of retailers selling fabric and patterns, yarn and thread, sewing machines and equipment, accessories, crafts kits and gifts, from well-known global brands to small artisan companies.

I don’t know why but I wasn’t expecting the Harrogate show to be quite as big as the London shows I’d visited previously (read about those here and here). But it was actually quite huge! Held over 4 large rooms (Halls A, B, C and M) with several places to get refreshments dotted along the way.

As we were going to be there for two days we resolved to be fairly systematic in our approach – we decided that the first half of our day would be spent mainly looking at what was on offer, and the second day would be more purchasing. Now it didn’t work completely like that, as there was some buying on the first day, but it seemed like a good way to see the show.

One of the beautiful yarn stalls at The Knitting and Stitching Show Harrogate

Show guides were priced at £5 and were available from a show merchandise stand at the start of the show. This handy programme included details of events and workshops and list all the vendors – great if you want to plan out what you are going to see before you start walking around.

There was about 150 plus vendors, which in the guide were themed for things like yarns, craft supplies, fabrics and buttons to name a few, Though it is kind of fun to walk around and come across new stalls I found the guide particularly useful later on when we wanted to backtrack to a stall where we’d seen something that we liked.

The TOFT stand at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate 2023

The first day we arrived was the Saturday, which as you can expect, was very busy. At times, just because of the amount of people, it was a bit slow going to get through the crowd, and to see a stall if there were people around it, so we did do some doubling back at times. But we worked our way through all of the rows looking at both sides, through each of the buildings and I would say we took about 4 hours in total – as we were oohh-ing and ahhh-ing over things we spied as we went.

As we were browsing the stall and we found ourselves at Tanya’s stand from The Woolly Tangle. Tanya has been our stall neighbour a couple of times when we’ve been out on the road with Dear Ewe. It was really nice to catch up with her and hear about her experiences of the show – and I may have rescued some yarn from her that needed to come home with me.

The lovely yarn by Tanya of The Woolly Tangle

It was nice to see the dedicated ‘The ‘Yarn Village’, section of the show, it was a place of small-scale specialist retailers who were offering a selection of unique, high quality yarn and accessories, not found on the high street.

As a fan of all things yarn I wouldn’t have been sad if ‘The Yarn Village’ section was even bigger and included even more yarn and things for crocheters and knitters, though there was a very nice selection to be had from the vendors that had their stall there.

Image of a glorious yarn wall at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate

A highlight of the show were the fabulous textile exhibitions that were a delight to walk round. Even if it’s not your particular craft I don’t think you can fail to appreciate the artistry involved in the work -and they are incredibly inspiring! This year’s Textile Galleries featured exhibitions by Art Textiles: Made in Britain (Illuminate),

Close up of 'Fancy Free' Open Textile Art by Kate Panhurst

Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn (Rhythms & Reflections), Ailish Henderson (Maker: Mended), Mandy Pattullo (Well Worn Work), Batool Showghi (Talking Threads), The Quilters’ Guild Collection (A Diverse Patchwork), Sabine Kaner (Hand Stitched Stories), Susie Chaikin, Susan Chapman and Sue Dove (Head, Heart, Knees and Hands), the winner and shortlisted entries for The Fine Art Textiles Award 2023, and winning entries from The Festival of Quilts 20^th Anniversary Quilt Competition.

Images of quilts on display at The Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate

As well as stalls and exhibitions there are also demos and workshops that you can choose to take part in. We didn’t actually catch any of the Creative Living Theatre shows this year – though there were several free daily demonstrations. We also decided not to do one of the workshops (though there were several that looked really fun) as we decided we were going to do something else that Harrogate is famous for.

As we’d walked our legs off at the show we decided we needed a bit of a rest so we headed off to find Betty’s Tea Rooms! Betty’s is quite a famous tea room that has been serving irresistible treats in Harrogate for over 100 years. I’d had the opportunity to go once, possibly about 15 years ago, but mum had never been so we decided we needed to make a visit whilst we were in town.

Dusk exterior shot of Betty's Tea Room in Harrogate

You don’t have to book for Betty’s but you do have to be prepared for a bit of a queue. We waited for about 10 minutes and were provided with a menu to peruse whilst we were waiting. We opted for the festive afternoon tea option and it didn’t disappoint!

Our sandwiches consisted of things like Wensleydale with red onion and cranberry chutney, and then we had mini cakes like chocolate cubes. Our favourite though had to be the cranberry and orange scones which were absolutely delicious! I would definitely recommend a visit to Betty’s if you visit a future The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate.

Close up of the festive afternoon tea from Betty's tearoom, Harrogate

The next day we walked back to the show and enjoyed a closer look at some of the beautiful textile exhibits before finding our way to the stalls we’d earmarked the day before. It was a little quieter on the Sunday so getting around to look at the stalls was much easier.

We got to have a lovely catch up chat with Sara (and Steve) from Black Sheep Wools. You may remember that Black Sheep provided yarn kits for the last two crochet-alongs and it was nice to chat about what’s been happening and possible future plans.

As we were walking round we also bumped into one of the winners of the giveaway for tickets for the show and had the opportunity to chat to them which was lovely. That’s one of the really nice things about visiting the shows, it’s the catching up with people, meeting new people and of course finding new things you didn’t know you needed in your life.

We did an awful lot of walking that weekend, I had turned on Strava (an fitness app) on whilst walking round the event (and Harrogate) and over the two days we walked over 12.2 miles (19.6km) so it was great exercise whilst enjoying ourselves! Then before we knew it, it was time to catch the 3 trains and a tram home again.

One of the many trains taken to get to The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate

Between us mum and I managed to pick up things for 13 new projects – 10 of them were mums, but she’s very much of a multi-crafter so she picked up sewing, cross-stitch and yarn items to use.

I bought some yarn and several lovely pom poms, one to re-make a hat pattern I want to re-release. I also bought some beautifully soft DK brown alpaca yarn, with no plan other than I wanted it. Then we both bought some bits to make some wreaths which I’m looking forward to doing on a crafty afternoon with mum sometime soonish.

Haul of crafty goods from The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate

And I think that this blog post is quite long enough! 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. The dates for 2024 have now been released; 10-13 October 2024 will be at the Alexandra Palace, London, 7 – 9 November 2024 there’s one at The Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast, and finally 21-24 November 2024 is the Harrogate show at The Convention Centre.

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 and the experience. If you get the chance to go to a future Knitting and Stitching Show I can thoroughly recommend it.

I’d like to say a big thank you again to the shows organisers for offering me the opportunity to visit and for offering the special deals to my lovely KCACO.UK readers!

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

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3Oct2023

Win tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

EDITED: Giveaway now closed, congratulations to; Natalie C, Claire B, Kate R, @poppingcandycrochet and @redditch_rose

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 ‘yes please’ – then keep on reading…

The Knitting & Stitching Show is back in Harrogate this year from 16 – 19 November held at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Close up of a wall of yarn skeins hanging up in lots of lovely bright assorted colours

The spectacular event is a dream day out for crafters and makers, with creative inspiration at every turn. Perfectly timed for Christmas craft shopping, The Knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate features hundreds of retailers selling fabric and patterns, yarn and thread, sewing machines and equipment, accessories, crafts kits and gifts, from well-known global brands to small artisan companies.

In The Yarn Village, hand-picked, small-scale specialist retailers will be offering a selection of unique, high quality yarn and accessories, not found on the high street (you had me at Yarn Village! 😍).

Image of a couple standing behind a stall; there are colourful skeins of yarn hanging on the walls behind them. — © Knitting and Stitching Show 2023

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. The show’s Learning Curve programme (ticketed) offers hundreds of hands-on workshops for enthusiasts looking to sharpen their stitch skills.

Close up of some rainbow coloured crochet swatches alongside a crochet hook.

Seasonal makes include needle felt reindeer and mice, winter-themed Dorset buttons, overlocker gift bags, beaded decorations, and knitted and stitched baubles. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an expert, top tutors will be sharing their knowledge, offering classes in every textile craft imaginable.

A group of people shown around a table working on some crochet projects together — © Knitting and Stitching Show 2023

The Knitting & Stitching Show is a showcase for new work by leading textile artists and groups, and this year’s Textile Galleries are sure to delight visitors, with exhibitions by Art Textiles: Made in Britain (Illuminate), Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn (Rhythms & Reflections), Ailish Henderson (Maker: Mended), Mandy Pattullo (Well Worn Work), Batool Showghi (Talking Threads), The Quilters’ Guild Collection (A Diverse Patchwork), Sabine Kaner (Hand Stitched Stories), Susie Chaikin, Susan Chapman and Sue Dove (Head, Heart, Knees and Hands), the winner and shortlisted entries for The Fine Art Textiles Award 2023, and winning entries from The Festival of Quilts 20^th Anniversary Quilt Competition.

A group of people do a selfie in front of the textile gallery at the Knitting and Stitching Show — © Knitting and Stitching Show 2023

At the show’s Creative Living Theatre, well-known knit and stitch personalities will be hosting free daily demonstrations, with Christmas needle felting, hand-stitched English paper piecing, Bargello basics, and upcycling waste clothing just some of the sessions on offer. Names include Angela Daymond, Wendy Dolan, Mark Francis, Debbie Harris, Jen Hogg, Moni Omotoso, Nerrisa Pratt and Steffi Stern, and there will even be a catwalk or two.

I’ve previously enjoyed my visit to the Knit and Stitching Shows (though not yet to Harrogate). You can read about those experiences you can read about them here and here.

Image of a couple of people standing in front of a stall; a lady behind the shawl is showing them a colourful quilt that is hanging up behind her. — © Knitting and Stitching Show 2023

Hot and cold refreshments are available throughout the venue; you can grab a bite to eat at one of the venue’s food or coffee outlets, have a picnic in one of the seating areas, enjoy a glass of fizz at the Prosecco Bar, or enjoy one of Harrogate’s many excellent cafés, bars or restaurants, including the famous Betty’s Café Tea Rooms.

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 11th October 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 16th, Friday 17^th, Saturday 18^th or Sunday 19^th November 2023. 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.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Standard adult advance tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate are £17.50 (concessions £16.00, children under 18 £8.50). Full ticket information is available at The Knitting & Stitching Show website. 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 £3 off advance adult tickets (and there’s £3.50 off advance concessions!). Please note that the discount ends at 23.59pm (GMT) on Wednesday 15th November 2023. Booking free applies.

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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15Feb2023

Designer Interview | Catherine Crochets

Posted in Blogging, British Crochet Designer, Crochet, Designer Interview, Inspiration by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

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.

Pinterest Image for Fibre Friends Chat on the KCACOUKBlog

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

25Jan2023

Giveaway | Win tickets for The Stitch Festival

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

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?

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.

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 24^th, Saturday 25^th or Sunday 26^th 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!

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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2Nov2022

Win tickets for The Knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

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.

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.

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!).

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 18^th, Saturday 19^th or Sunday 20^th 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.

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

Subscribe to the blog:

2May2022

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

Posted in Outings, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

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

8Feb2022

Win tickets for The Stitch Festival

Posted in Competitions, Crochet, Outings, Sale / Special Offer, Yarn Show by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

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!

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

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 11^th February.

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.

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.

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 2^nd 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

19Jan2022

Designer Interview | Red Sparrow Crochet

Posted in Blogging, British Crochet Designer, Crochet, Designer Interview, Inspiration by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

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!

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.

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!

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.

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…!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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