Crochet, Kaleidoscopes and New Beginnings

So the festivities are over and the dust has finally settled. In fact it looks so settled I think I’ll leave it in peace until it’s time for my annual and rigorous spring clean.  *cough*

(I think I might be developing a dust allergy)

The glittering baubles and bejewelled  faux faberge decorations have all been neatly squashed back into their carrier bags and empty biscuit tins and are now sitting patiently at the top of the stairs waiting to be returned to the attic where they belong.

As the sun was slowly setting on 2013 it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn’t yet secured a venue for our 2014 workshops.

Last terms Mystery Crochet Course was a huge success. Everyone had worked with their own, individual colour palettes to create a collection of beautiful and unique crochet samples. Each week we would lay our work on the table creating, and recreating dizzy and colourful patchworks; positioning, editing, rotating and shifting colours and motifs in a brilliant performance of kaleidoscopic pattern.

Mandalas and spirals, constellations of stars, fabulous florals, log cabins and zig zags; they all contributed and were as individual as the hands that made them.

I learnt so much from this lovely group of hookers and was constantly presented with alternative approaches. Sometimes a mis read pattern resulted in a beautiful ‘happy accident’, and sometimes the printed instructions were simply the starting point for a playful interpretation.

I miss these sessions – but a new year is beckoning and heralding a new beginning. It is time to start unravelling and finding my way back to the first stitch and where it all begins.

We are running some new classes starting with a beginners crochet class next month, and I am delighted to announce that a new venue for The Mercerie’s Knitting and Crochet workshops has been found – and not too far from home.

The Stage (St Augustines Gateway Enterprise)  is a little gem, the ground floor of a grade II listed building nestled in the historic parish of St Augustines, Norwich. This versatile, community space is run by volunteers and trustees made up of local residents and traders and provides an affordable venue for meetings, activites etc. It was once an empty derelict sandwich bar – empty for over a decade but it is now a valuable community asset.

We are looking forward to 2014, meeting new crafters, learning new skills and enjoying the beauty of creative discovery.

 This post is a link in a circle of blogs called Sisterhood Stories. Please visit the next post by  Karrie Drake and leave some love on the way 🙂