Crochet Confessions...

As you can see, the name I chose for my label is knit and destroy. I am a knitter, and I love knitting...most of the time...but sometimes crochet is just better! 

Most of my knitting is by machine, and I can find hand knitting slow and frustrating sometimes. It's great for certain things, I love my hand knitted mittens and my jumper (both done in double knit yarn, none of that thin faffy stuff), but for some projects crochet wins. Also, I find crochet more flexible as a process, easier to make it up as you go, and definitely better than knit for 3D pieces. 

For my 'tricks and treats' exhibition last year, I mixed machine knit and crochet, using crochet for the edging on my ouija board, as well as crocheting the candles that sat with it.  

I use crochet for projects in Sugar Paper zine quite a lot, with things from daisy chain glasses chains to binocular bags. I'm working on the solar system for the next issue of Sugar Paper right now, here's a work in progress shot...

I can't remember when I learnt to crochet, probably when I saw that amigurumi existed and I wanted to make them, but I'm glad I did. I'm also glad that other people did too. Some of my favourite artists who use textiles as their medium use crochet. 

Here are two of my top faves, Olek, and Joana Vasconcelos, both who use crochet on a large scale, exploiting its sculptural properties and using the bright colour palette that I know I associate with domestic crochet. 

                                Olek

                            Joana Vasconcelos

If you are a die-hard knitter who has never tried crochet, or a keen crafter who has never picked it up then have a go! 

Knitting, I love you, but sometimes, you just make me want to crochet! 

We have LIFT OFF!!!

That's right, knit and destroy has left planet earth and I'm floating about in outer space...ok, so maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but, there is a new collection out, and that definitely is intergalactic!

I have been fascinated with space for years, I remember going to the London Planetarium age 9 and having my mind blown, coming home with a poster of 'space' (I think it was a galaxy)that lived on my bedroom wall for years. I must admit, my dinosaur obsession took over for a few years but the moon and stars were always there to gaze at and the love of space never went away.  

As well as real space, there are so many great films,fictions, music and fashions that use 'space' as inspiration, I was really excited to have a go at making my own space inspired creations.

It was tough to decide on what to focus on for this, there were almost aliens and UFOs too but I figured I can save them for another collection and make this one about the planets.  

This collection sees the return of glow in the dark knits, as well as glitter yarns and some space dye. I had lots of fun putting this collection together, playing with new yarns and making the biggest cushion I have ever attempted. 

We all know that the moon glows in the dark, this cushion and scarf are no exception. 

It's not all about the moon though, when I dreamed up this collection, I knew that Saturn would need to feature in it, and it definitely does, with this large shaped cushion that gives Saturn the shine it deserves...

I couldn't stop at one Saturn and got the super-talented Ben Cooney to design this non-knitted treat of a brooch that is a pretty pastel planet by day, and by night it GLOWS!!

Not wanting to leave any planets of the solar system out, I also designed this scarf which has Saturn along with all it's spacey friends knitted into the design.

Go and check out the full collection over at my shop...and keep a look out for the final design in the collection which is coming soon!