MODERN RETRO

Who: Pony McTate What: Designer and columnist

You should know: Pony comes from a long line of keen crocheters, but only fell for the craft herself two years ago. “I had wee children and was desperate for some kind of creative outlet,” the New Zealander says. “It had to be something I could pick up and put down without much hassle. My mother had a supply of hooks, and the expertise, so crochet was a natural choice. And what a wonderful choice it was.”

Pony started with “a wonky rabbit” and had created a whole cast of creatures within a month. “Looking back, I don’t recall mothering at this time but I do remember the crochet! The meditative nature of crochet was an unexpected delight.”

Once she’d got the basics down, Pony began tweaking patterns. “A bit of colourwork here, adjusting a shape over there... It wasn’t a great leap to start creating my own designs,” she says. “I enjoy the free-flowing creativity of starting from scratch.”

Quirky amigurumi will always be her first love. “Recently that’s morphed into elaborate free-standing portraits of people,” she says. “They’re so satisfying to create and the detail makes them come alive. I’m also enjoying making fun garments – like hot pants in super-bulky merino and wrap tops that you can wear in a million different ways.”

Pony is about to start teaching XL crochet workshops in collaboration with Plump & Co. “It’s a dream come true,” she says. “Plump & Co make the most marvellous chunky felted yarns with New Zealand merino and I’m looking forward to getting people enthused about crochet. I’ll be releasing more patterns too, which is always exciting.”