PROFILE: SANDY WALKER
Sandy Walker lets us in on the secrets of Tunisian crochet design, her top tips for perfect projects, and what’s brewing on her extra-long hook...
Our Tunisian designer reveals her hooky roots
What initially attracted you to crochet? My mom Penny was a master fibre artist and could knit and crochet with the speed and precision of a finely tuned machine. She made me a sturdy crocheted bicycle ‘bag’ (pre-backpack era) to transport my gear to a lifeguarding job. I was already a knitter and making sweaters in sock weight yarn. The speed of crocheting with large hooks and thick yarn was very appealing to me.
I took up crochet at 17, made a mini business out of selling bags, then moved on to making blankets as gifts. Mom crocheted my spectacular wedding dress in 1976 and I made matching shawls for the bridesmaids.
When did you move towards Tunisian crochet as your preferred style?
I discovered Tunisian crochet in the 1970s and it was my preferred technique for warm, dense blankets. I made a few modifications to patterns, adding texture with bobbles and a few minor stitch variations. In 2016, I participated in my first few CALs; Bonnie Barker’s Holiday Cable Throw and Debbie Hemsley’s Neave Baby Blanket. I discovered the beauty and versatility of post stitches and adapted them to work in Tunisian. My first original design, aptly named, was ‘The Penny Drops’. It became a well-received CAL and the first piece of the Penny Collection.
What is your design process?
One idea seems to lead to infinite creative possibilities. What started with simple post stitches and colourwork, morphed into projects that incorporate many new techniques including cables. The current designs are mostly TITR (Tunisian in the round) and include seamless sweaters, ponchos, hats, cowls, stockings and a variety of blanket shapes from squares to octagons.
What kind of things inspire your work?
I love the fabric-like textures of Tunisian stitches such as houndstooth, tweeds and herringbone. They remind me of my quilting adventures and resulted in the Pennywise, Halfpenny and other blanket designs. A 2017 trip to Ireland’s Blarney Woollen Mills resulted in my never-ending obsession with cables on Tunisian crochet. Penny’s Ode to Ireland uses classic knitted cable designs, integrated and not overlaid using Tunisian crochet and was my first ‘I can’t believe it is not knitted’ project. A visit to Scotland sparked an interest in tartans and plaids.
How do you choose your colour schemes? Do you swatch for colour?
I have always loved the colour palette of the sea and shades of teal. Some of my favourite designs were inspired by these colours. I research trends like wedding, baby, home decor and fashion, visit fabric shops, and also wander yarn aisles to find ‘unexpected’ colour combinations in variegated yarn.
I use Excel spreadsheets to plot the overall colour placement and dimensions of designs. The colour options are infinite, making changes easy, and the result is a realistic template of my vision. I have provided the template to CAL participants so they can play with colour choices of their own. Describe your design style: My goal is to create refreshing, contemporary and innovative Tunisian designs utilising colourwork, graphics, cables, textures and patterns suitable for advanced beginners. I tend toward efficient, portable projects that have the look of individual blocks but are created in continuous panels, colours carried up the side and easily seamed.
I placed second in the 2018 Crochet Guild of America Tunisian design competition with ‘Halfpenny Hybrid’, a baby blanket that incorporated stitch ‘fabric’ and cable blocks. I won first in 2019 with ‘Penny’s Puzzle’, a Tunisian in the round blanket project made up of 28 uniquely designed, geometric pieces (octagons, squares, triangles).
What do you think are the main benefits of Tunisian crochet over other styles?
Tunisian crochet results in perfectly defined stitches on all sides of a piece, with clearly visible edge stitches, making joining, assembly and borders simple. The basics are easier to learn than regular crochet because the piece is not turned. Colour changes and easy stitch variations create amazing textured designs. Tunisian in the round (TITR) techniques are an absolute game changer. It is the best method in crochet for lettering, graphic/mosaic designs with no yarn stranding or carries. A different colour is used for the forward and return passes and designs are created by using stitches that either hide or show the return pass colour.
Which of the designs in this supplement is your favourite, and why?
The Plaid Shawl reminds me of a visit to Scotland with our daughter. It is an easy beginner project using simple stitches and showcases the ease of colourwork in Tunisian crochet. The defined Tunisian simple stitches are perfect for adding surface crochet vertical striping and creating plaid, and the resulting piece has great visual impact and is deceptively simple to create. The skills learned can be used for multiple projects.
Do you have any top tips for Tunisian crochet you can share with readers?
Yes I do! Use a hook 1mm to 2mm larger than recommended on the yarn label, pick up stitches in the back bump of the starting chain and hook through both loops the left-side-edge stitch.
“TUNISIAN IN THE ROUND TECHNIQUES ARE AN ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER”
Where do you most like to work on your crochet designs?
I have a studio at home with bookshelves and closets full of yarn, a comfy couch and ottoman, great lighting, a Smart TV, a cabinet for tool storage and a place for my tea mug, plus a door to keep the cats and husband out. My husband has been trained to wait until I acknowledge his presence before speaking (this has taken years). My computer is in the office next door with a wonderful view overlooking the gardens, forest, and wildlife.
What’s coming up for you in 2020?
I will publish existing and new patterns, teach Tunisian crochet, attend Interweave Yarn Fest in Colorado, travel to the UK in July for a Crafty Adventures cruise to Europe, visit Yarndale in the UK September, followed by another Crafty cruise to Portugal, Spain and wherever. I am currently working on designs for the 2020 CGOA competition.