Hi! What are you up to today?
I actually took most of the day off to hang out with my eldest on his birthday – one of the perks of being my own boss.
Do you have any tips and advice for mental wellbeing?
I learnt to knit as a child and returned to the craft when I was unwell in my twenties as a distraction while I was quarantining. After having my first child I found knitting (and a little later I taught myself to crochet) was crucial to my mental well being. When you have small children you work so hard but there is never anything to show for all that work. A few rows of knitting or crochet each day that I could point at and say “I did that today” made me feel like I existed. I think this would apply to any caring role or anytime your job doesn’t have a measurable output, its really helpful.
What is your favourite type of project to crochet?
I love anything wearable but nothing excites me more than a good cardigan (with pockets of course!)
Where’s your favourite place to crochet?
In the corner of my lounge watching TV but I crochet everywhere.
Which of your crochet projects are you proudest of?
Reverse Gear Shawl (in The Shawl Project Book Two) I sweated blood and tears over that shawl to get the stitch pattern to work, when it finally clicked I was overjoyed.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced with your crochet?
Lockdown has been hard on my creativity. I think its having people in the house all day every day when I’m used to working in solitude. I never get time to string two thoughts together.
What’s the best piece of crochet advice you’ve ever received?
There are no crochet police – if you are happy then its right.
It’s been a difficult year for many of us – do you have any words of encouragement for any crocheters out there who are having a hard time?
Be kind to yourself. If you are struggling to even pick up your crochet then know that you will find joy in it again. If your current project(s) aren’t doing it for you feel free to choose a new one even if you promised yourself you’d finish things first. Its time to throw old rules out of the window and just get through this.
Do you have any big crochet plans coming up?
I’m becoming a bit obsessed with crochet socks so I think there will be a book of socks soon. I know they have a bit of a bad reputation for being too stiff but I’ve worked out how to get the fabric to hug the foot and I’ve recently worked out a way to make a really stretchy ribbing. At the moment I’m researching sock fit from all the knitting resources I can find so I can apply the principles to crochet to create the perfect fit for every foot.
Where can people find out more about you?
Head to www.thecrochetproject.com it hosts all of my patterns, online classes, tutorials and information about me.