COLUMN: KATE BRUNING

Kate Bruning has had a great time with new and old friends teaching crochet workshops, despite some technical issues and typical festival weather!

My knees were soaking, my back was aching, I was crawling around a chairless bell tent on bare, wet grass, a deafeningly loud band was playing five metres away and 14 people were squatting in a circle, desperately trying to learn the first steps of crochet. That was the day I questioned what I was doing with my life!

FESTIVAL FUN

A month earlier, I had agreed to run a crochet workshop at a friend’s festival. We thought ten participants would be cosy, provided they all had basic crochet skills (something I always specify). However, along the way, something went awry... The lesson quickly changed from learning new stitches, to wrapping yarn around fingers. In the end (and in the most intense 45 minutes of my life), they had learned how to hold the hook and yarn and were chaining away (happily?). To this day I still don’t know if I inspired or simultaneously turned 12 people away from the joys of crochet. In spite of that gruelling ordeal, teaching workshops is my favourite thing to do! From coming up with a fresh idea, to meeting the wonderful and varied participants, it’s almost like planning a birthday party. After all, with a bit of cake thrown in, what could be better than a group of enthusiastic crafters chatting and summoning moths from yarn?

FRIENDS AND TREASURES

Teaching has opened up travel for me. It makes such a difference in visiting family back in Australia by adding in a workshop or two. I have been so lucky that Julie from Little Woollie has invited me back to teach at her gorgeous shop in Hastings, just outside Melbourne. A treasure trove of yarn, woolly goods and pretty things, I secretly find it hard to concentrate because I just want to play with all of the yarny loveliness. And having had lots of returning students there, I always feel as though I’m catching up with old friends!

TOADSTOOL TRIUMPH

Speaking of travel, the first workshop I ever taught was with Amanda Bloom of Little Box of Crochet and was held at Hope

“After an intense 45 minutes they had learned how to hold the hook and yarn.” “Teaching workshops is my favourite thing to do, it’s like planning a party.”

and Elvis in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. We were teaching the class how to make toadstools, a project I had designed for Amanda’s first box. Nestled in Louise Presley’s light-filled studio and treated to delicious food, I did find myself thinking that this was the best job ever – especially towards the end of the day when finished toadstools kept popping up, happily accompanied by delighted looks on their makers’ faces. I came away knowing a huge shift in direction had just taken place.

NEW TECHNIQUES AND INSPIRATIONS

Workshops have allowed me so much scope in developing a pattern. Some projects, regardless of how easy they are to make, can be complex to write and the tutorials difficult to photograph. This is particularly true of a technique that I started to play with last year when I began incorporating wire into crocheted Australian wildflowers (see Step-by-step Success below). However, the effort was worth it as it turned into a perfect project to workshop, as the crochet itself is simple. It means the attendees left buzzing, filled with plans, which in turn inspired me!

“Teaching is inspiring travel.” and allows me to