PROFILE: ILARIA CALIRI

We talk huge shawls and inspirations with Ilaria Caliri.

Italian crafter Ilaria lives in London, in the space left between balls of yarn, fabric, biscuits, chocolate and ice cream. Her adorable amigurumi creatures are just as sweet as her tooth. She just can’t live without her yellow diary, or give a gift without wrapping it in extravagant fashion, using fabric, yarn and more.

What inspired your shawl for this collection?

I like playing with colours and shapes and a shawl is a perfect accessory for experimentation. I wanted to combine colour blocks and geometry, but of course, when I design something for a pattern rather than a personal item, I always think about how the work flows and the variety of techniques I can use to keep the motivation going. Making sections using different stitches and changing colours make me eager to get to the next section.

What are your go-to yarns for shawls?

My favourite yarn for making shawls is a 4ply or fingering weight yarn. The crochet stitches really plump up the fabric, so I can get a soft and sufficiently thick shawl. As I love big shawls, a fairly fine yarn enables me to make quite large, wearable pieces without them being heavy or bulky.

Which crocheters inspire you?

Here I have to mention The Crochet Project by Joanne Scrace and Kat Goldin. They’ve designed beautiful shawl collections using an interesting variety of techniques. Then Annelies Baes is also a very talented crochet designer – her shawls are always beautiful and fun to make without being over-complicated!

Tell us about the first shawl you ever made…

It was a long time ago! I don’t have any photos of my first crochet shawl, but I remember a huge triangle and a beautiful variegated yarn. It wasn’t so fancy or difficult to make – when I really want to show off the yarn I think easy patterns are the best!

Do you have a favourite shawl design?

The one in this booklet is so far the favourite shawl I’ve designed. I hope to have the chance to design more like it, then I’ll pick my absolute fave!

What are your top tips?

Precise tension isn’t crucial for shawls, so you can pick a yarn of similar weight without being too concerned about the perfect gauge – but different fibres can lead to very different fabrics. Merino wool is more elastic than alpaca, which usually has long fibres and a fluffy halo; while cotton is not elastic at all, but has really good drape. If you’re a beginner, shawls are great projects for learning new things, and you can wear your finished item even if it has the odd mistake – no one will see them when the shawl is wrapped around your neck!

Find Ilaria at www.etsy.com/uk/shop/airali and www.ravelry.com/designers/ilaria-caliri-aka-airali