PROFILE: IMOGEN LEWIS
Young crocheter Imogen Lewis talks about getting out and about with her hook, and how living with allergies is bearable with the best craft in the world…
Hello, I’m Imogen, and I come from a very creative family. My dad teaches photography in his spare time as well as constantly repairing things around the house; my sister loves doing crafts of all sorts and my mum crochets and knits. We have an adorable tabby cat called Ollie, who loves to go to sleep on my crocheted blankets and he often sleeps alongside the little crochet toys I make.
My mum taught me to crochet when I was about seven. I was instantly hooked (pun intended) and I took to it like a duck to water. I learnt to knit first, which taught me the importance of having a tension that wasn’t too tight or too loose, and then I learnt to crochet (I have been told that I crochet like I knit). I find crochet much quicker than knitting and it requires less sewing up. My first make was a very wonky square using a ball of garishly red DK yarn and a 4.5mm hook. From that moment on, I crocheted whenever I had any free time.
YARNY DISTRACTION
I’m 17 and I suffer from multiple allergies with a few complications thrown in and, as a result, I have a very limited diet. I was born with allergies to milk, dairy and nuts and when I was around 12 developed more allergies. I have to carry EpiPens with me everywhere I go and check ingredients on all food packages. I can’t eat in cafés or have takeaways – not even a portion of chips because of the risk of cross-contamination. And before you ask, yes, I am always hungry. So to distract me from my very angry tummy I crochet. The soothing rhythm of ‘2dc, dc, dc’ or ‘dc, htr, tr’ helps to relax me. I crochet whenever I have time – before breakfast, with breakfast, after breakfast… you get the picture: I live, breathe and sleep crochet!
I have had lots of hospital appointments and crochet helps me through the difficult times. For example, one summer I had to have a nasogastric tube and I wasn’t allowed to eat, so to distract me and keep me occupied I would crochet little mice. I crocheted mice for my teachers, my cat, my sister and my friends.
CONSTANT COMPANION
No matter where I go, I always take my crochet with me. I take a ball of DK yarn and a 4mm hook and make a granny square or
something small while I wait for an appointment, for example. I always get people admiring my work or telling me how their mother or grandmother taught them to crochet, or how it’s nice to see young people doing something worthwhile with their time. When I was in a supermarket I met a 100-year-old lady, and we had a lovely chat about how she used to knit gloves for soldiers in the Second World War. She even did a bit of my crochet for me!
TIME FOR SCHOOL
When I’m not crocheting I am studying. I am currently studying History, RE and English Language A Levels. The repetitive nature of crochet enables me to relax and gives me an escape from the pressures of school. Prior to lockdown I would take my crochet with me to school and during break time I would sit and crochet. My teachers are used to seeing me make something during my breaks. I like to crochet for other people, like my local Rainbows unit where I am a young leader. Every Christmas I crochet something for the five- and six-year-old girls. Last Christmas I made them all mince pies, and the Christmas before that I made them cute little Christmas mice.
INSPIRATION TO CREATE
I love animals, nature and anything retro or vintage, and my inspiration comes from these areas. For example, I made a pair of mustard shorts in colours inspired by the 60s and 70s. My family holidays to the Yorkshire coast also help. We often visit Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay, and we like to travel around the North York Moors visiting Goathland and Grosmont. I’m always inspired by the purples, pinks, yellows and greens of the moorlands. I’ve visited Yarndale and The Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate where I’ve met like-minded people and influential crafters (such as Lucy from Attic24). I always come away with lighter pockets, a bigger stash of yarn, and full of ideas.
I also find music helps inspire creative ideas. I have a few modern record players and a 1960s Bush record player and I like to play 50s, 60s and Motown music while crocheting with Ollie, my cat, on my lap.
MY PROJECTS OF CHOICE
Crocheting toys and amigurumi is great fun, but I also enjoy making blankets and clothes. I prefer to crochet clothes freestyle, without a pattern, such as those mustard shorts. Recently I have started being more experimental with my crochet by designing my own patterns. My first pattern was a tiny penguin called Muffin made of embroidery thread using a 0.6mm hook, and inspired by a trip to Harewood House to see the penguins. I enjoy the challenge of learning new stitches, and even after all this time it still amazes me that with just one ball of yarn and a hook you can make a blanket or a bear appear like magic!
WHAT’S ON MY HOOK?
I am currently working on a sensory monster pattern with a puff stitch belly and a weighted bottom. Like most crafters I always have more than two projects on the go, so that at the same time as crocheting toys I am designing crochet patterns and experimenting with new stitches. I would like to be part of a crafting community for young people so that we could bounce ideas off each other and share our makes and disasters. I have taught young people to crochet in the past, and after lockdown I would like to resume teaching young people to crochet. Hopefully this is a skill that will stay with them forever.
Written by Imogen Lewis
“prior to lockdown i would take my crochet with me to school and during break time i would sit and crochet”