PROFILE: I MAKE KNOTS
Fanatical about giant wool, and lover of outsized crochet, Riannon Selcuk shares her crafts and inspirations, and why teaching makes her happy.
We meet with Riannon on a bright, breezy day, and immediately switch the kettle on, asking the innovative crocheter what she fancies. “Coffee all the way – I can’t start my day without my daily dose of caffeine!”
The London-based designer and workshop co-ordinator is a huge fan of outsized yarns and crochet, using her love of bold shades and big stitches to create gorgeously sumptuous works of art that double up as useful, cosy, irresistible homewares and accessories to wear. As well as selling patterns and kits, Riannon runs workshops so you can get hands-on help with mastering super-sized crochet techniques, and have a giggle on the way. For Riannon, the appeal of crochet was clear from the beginning. “I really like the textures you can create using different crochet stitches and techniques,” she comments. “It’s different to knitting, which to me appears more ‘flat.’”
She only set herself the challenge of learning to crochet about ten years ago. “It took me two weeks to master how to hold the hook, yarn and make a treble,” she remembers. “My mum taught me and she has the patience of a saint!”
Before long though, Riannon had cracked it and was addicted. “My first project was very simple – an oversized continuous granny square blanket which has lasted well, because the person I gifted it to now uses it for her third child.” These gigantic granny squares are tempting to make, using large plump, silky yarns such as Woolly Mahoosive Mammoth Yarn. The results are luxurious – perfect for burying bare toes into, especially on lazy Sunday mornings when you happen to have a warm mug of coffee to hand.
Making the leap from tackling crochet to dreaming up her own patterns was a natural progression for Riannon.
“I see inspiration in everything, wanting to recreate things in the giant yarns and tools I love to use,” she explains. “That’s really how I came to designing.”
A CROCHET CALLING
In May 2014, Riannon launched her company I Make Knots (IMK) to fill a gap
she’d noticed in the market. “I couldn’t find any workshops that I wanted to attend to either further my skills, make something more modern or just meet like-minded crafters,” she says, “so I decided to test run my own workshop.”
An impressive 50 people signed up to that first workshop, offering participants the chance to learn to either crochet or knit a chunky statement necklace. “It was a great success and I felt I’d found my calling.”
Riannon is currently busy working on ideas for new workshops and kits, planning to expand IMK to more venues across the UK, and take her crochet-centric business further afield. “We launched in Northern Ireland and Ireland at the end of 2017.”
As challenging as running the business can be, Riannon wouldn’t give it up for the world. “Balancing working full-time alongside other commitments and then dedicating time to IMK can be tricky,” she admits. “But if I wasn’t doing it, I’d miss it terribly – seeing people skip out of a workshop feeling confident and motivated to go and knot everything! It can make someone’s day to master a new skill or just have a nice chat whilst crafting, and that’s what keeps me going.”
Happily, the full-time job fits rather seamlessly into her design work for IMK, while providing an endless source of inspiration. “I freelance as an interior designer so I keep an eye on trends, but mainly it’s patterns within textiles that grab my interest,” she says. “Using a variety of crochet techniques to create something functional which you can use at home or wear really excites me.”
Being so busy, it’s no wonder that Riannon particularly relishes the speed of crochet. “I love how you can build height in just one row – it’s super quick,” she says, adding: “And making different types of granny squares with lots of colours is just a lovely thing to pick up and do – the possibilities really are endless.” ECLECTIC INFLUENCES
As you may have guessed, Riannon has some specific yarns to which she’s unerringly loyal. “I have two favourite yarns which are fabulous for crocheting: Woolly Mahoosive Mammoth yarn, which is super chunky but cost affective at £18.50 a kilo and comes in beautiful colours, and Tek-Tek fabric yarn, because their patterned yarns are so varied, and it’s also really good quality.”
Riannon’s go-to crochet tools tap into her passion for a happy hustle. “My 40mm hook from Woolly Mahoosive is essential – it whips up a project in no time.”
This haste has led to the odd mishap, but she makes sure to learn something each time. “At first I kept forgetting to add corners to granny squares and ended up with some very odd shapes,” she says. “Then I realised that I could draw the square out like a diagram and tick off each stitch to get me used to doing it. That worked a treat.”
When it comes to working on crochet designs, for Riannon there’s no place quite
like home. “I like to be snuggled on my sofa listening to good music – that’s a mix of Metallica and Katy Perry for me, in case you’re wondering,” she confides. “My craft stash is a bit ‘itsa bitsa’ so I’ll lay out my yarns and see what works best for a new pattern.”
Riannon also heads online for inspiration. “I use Instagram a lot; my favourite crochet designers are Katie Jones Knits, Ezzy Stitch and Made Naturally UK, which is a new brand doing amazing mosaic patterns and kits,” she says. “They’re each so different but such lovely feeds to swoon over.”
It all feeds the imagination, as well as boosts her urge to take her workshops out to the masses and share the joy of making and connecting with other crafters. “To be able to make something using your own hands that also has the feel-good factor is the best feeling EVER!” she enthuses. “I have so many repeat attendees that come back with other crafters they’ve met at an IMK workshop, that it gives me this lovely feeling inside. To know that IMK not only connects and teaches people but is spreading the joy of crafting, is wonderful.” Written by Judy Darley
Go to www.imakeknots.com to see what’s coming up, and follow @imakeknots on Instagram.
“USING A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES TO CREATE SOMETHING TO USE AT HOME OR WEAR EXCITES ME!”