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Transcript:

Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

​Hello and welcome to Love To Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

Helen: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew and it’s not the only thing we wanna talk about.

Caroline: Today we are chatting with Nyala Rowe from Crochet Junction. We get an intro to crochet, including the best beginner projects, yarn, and resources. We also chat about integrating sewing and crochet and finding your crafty community.

Helen: If you love to sew, this is your show. Hello, Nyala. Thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Nyala: Hi. Thank you so much for having me. I’m honestly buzzing to be here. Thank you.

Helen: Oh, we’re so stoked to chat with you about crochet today. I know our listeners are gonna love hearing about this, so can you please introduce yourself to our listeners?

Nyala: Of course. So I am Nyala Rowe, and I am from a city in the north of England called Leeds. And I no longer live there, though. I am currently very much fixed in the Midlands in England. So I’m currently just outside of Birmingham. And I am a crochet enthusiast, I guess you’d say. Crochet content creator, YouTuber. And I also teach crochet, and hopefully soon I can add to that list. Crochet pattern designer. That’s on the list for this year. So hopefully I can add that soon, but not quite. So yeah, I am 32 and I have been crocheting for coming up 10 years, actually just under 10 years now. So yeah, it’s something that has kind of taken over my life. I can confidently say that it’s a part of me. It’s not going anywhere, and it is just, yeah. I am crochet, through and through. So you can find me on Instagram as @crochet_junction, but I am Nyala Rowe.

Caroline: Oh, incredible. Helen and I are so excited to talk to you. Obviously this is a sewing podcast, but we are interested in all things fiber arts, and I, personally, really wanna learn to crochet, so I’m hoping to come away with this with a little bit more knowledge. And I know a lot of our listeners wanna get that crochet kind of one-on-one so that we can try it out ourselves, as well. Can you tell us about your journey? What got you into it?

Nyala: So it’s a strange one, really. Despite growing up in what I would say is quite a creative household, so my dad is an amazing painter and drawer, and my grandma would knit and crochet for all of her grandchildren. It was probably her only hobby, really. So I was definitely around it a lot growing up, but I just had zero interest. So I’m, I’m not someone who was taught by my grandparents or learnt from a young age. I actually didn’t get into crochet until I was 21, 22 and, I don’t know, do you guys have Wagamama over there in Canada?

Helen: No, but I, I am aware of it, but no, we don’t have it over here. Why don’t you explain it to our listeners?

Nyala: Okay. Well. So Wagamama is a restaurant chain, essentially. It is, like, Pan-Asian food. And between the ages of 18 and 24, I was a waitress there. And we used to do these really long, grueling split shifts. So we would start work at 12:00 PM and finish at 3:00 PM but then we’d have a three hour break in the middle and then start back at six, and then finish at 12:00 AM. So we’d have three hours in the middle of the day and it wasn’t quite enough time to go back home. So we would tend to just sit on our phones, doom scrolling, like, doing nothing. And I got to the point where I was like, there must be something else that I can do in my time that’s just a little bit more productive than this. I felt like my brain was kind of rotten. So I Googled it and I said, what can I do in my spare time? Something with my hands. And what kept coming up was knitting.

So the next day, on my split shift, I walked into Birmingham City Center, and in Birmingham you’ve got the Birmingham Ragmarket, which is, like, this massive market and it’s got lots of like independent traders in there, and there’s a woman in there that sells yarn and everything you need. So I bought some knitting needles, some yarn, and I went back to work, got a YouTube video up and decided to knit a scarf. So I started knitting this scarf and I thought it was going really, really well. I was loving it. I was really, really enjoying it until I got to the end of the scarf and I realized that somewhere along the way I’d gone wrong and it was just really misshapen and I mean, I would like to say it had character, but my friend looked at it, and she said, “Hmm, have you thought about crocheting instead?” And at that time, I knew what crochet was in that I knew kind of how crochet looked. I could, if somebody showed me something that was knitted and something that was crocheted, I could tell the difference between the two. But I didn’t really know what the difference was. So the next day I went and I got a crochet hook instead of knitting needles. And I used the same yarn and I decided to start crocheting a blanket. And hand on heart, ever since that day, I have had a project ongoing ever since. I got completely addicted to it to the point where, I mean, I was only young, so I was still kind of going out. I was going out after work and I’d get home at like three in the morning and then just start crocheting. And I was just so addicted to it. It just felt like a really good way to pass the time. It was so relaxing and it just, I, I had to do it before I went to bed. It really just set me up for a good night’s sleep. And ever since then, I’ve just been completely addicted.

Helen: Oh my gosh. What a fun story. I absolutely love it. Also, I’m imagining at 3:00 AM, after being out with your friends, like, you’re a little drunk, right? Like, drunk crocheting?

Nyala: What I will say is, there isn’t many pictures of my first blanket, and we’re gonna keep it that way because, let’s just say, it’s an interesting make.

Caroline: Oh my gosh. No, I was gonna say, good on you. ‘Cause when I used to do split shifts as a server, I would just, like, go out to eat and drink in between with my server friends and, like, I didn’t do anything productive.

Nyala: Listen, that’s what I was doing for probably the first four years, so I was definitely with you on that. But it got to a point where I was just like, there’s got to be something else I could do. And I think, as well, it was okay if, if you had, like, other friends that were on split shifts as well. But sometimes during the week it’d just be you and you’d just be sat there and I was like, oh, this is just, it’s a bit boring. So, but yeah, I’m glad, I’m glad it ended up that way. I’m really, I’m really glad that I found crochet. But it was kind of a weird introduction, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Caroline: Mm. Well it’s so nice, and I love this idea that you’ve basically had a project on the go since that moment. Can you tell us, like, what is it that you love so much about crochet?

Nyala: I think, for me, there’s quite a few things. It’s relaxing, first and foremost. It’s really, really relaxing and really mindful, but also it’s something that you can do whilst doing other things. So crochet isn’t something that I kind of have to stop my life for. It’s intertwined in everything that I do. So if I am, if I’m reading a book, for example, I will listen to the audiobook and crochet. If I am watching my favourite sports, which are Formula One and tennis, I’m gonna be crocheting alongside that. If I’m traveling, I can crochet. If I’m just chilling on the sofa with my partner, I can crochet. It’s like, it’s not antisocial and it’s not one of those hobbies that you kind of have to go to a special place to do. You can just do it anywhere you want, and I love that about it. I also love that, like I said, I never really grew up seeing myself as a creative person, but it is definitely a creative outlet and it allows me to express myself and really just find joy in doing things with my hands. So I love that part of it as well.

And then, also, one thing that I love about it a lot is the community aspect of it. And this is something that I kind of didn’t learn about until I was a good few years into my crochet journey, really. When I first picked up crochet, I was very much a crochet loner. So I would, I would crochet kind of on my own. I had a flatmate and I would crochet in the house. And I went to a craft group quite early on and I had a really bad experience there. I didn’t enjoy it. And I was like, I’m, I’m just never doing that again. And it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that’s when I started sharing my crochet online. That’s when I created Crochet Junction on Instagram. And at that point I found that there’s this whole world, this whole community of people that are crocheting, knitting, and doing all sorts of yarn that I just never really knew existed.

So I built up a really good relationship and, in fact, I built up good friendships with people online. During that first year, year and a half of the pandemic, I had something I hosted on Zoom. Such a throwback. And basically every Thursday night on Zoom, I had something called Hook Club, because you use a crochet hook to make your projects. So we had Hook Club every Thursday and we would just, it was just like a group of like, say, 20 women who, we’d never met in real life before. And we would all just sit, we all had our individual projects and we would just chat and it was so fun and it was like this real community. And then when the world started to open back up again, it kind of fizzled out, which was really sad. And I definitely felt there was, like, a bit of a void because I do think the older you get, the harder it is to kind of make new friends.

So by this point, I’m, like, in my late twenties and I’ve got a very solid friendship group that I, I love dearly. But you know, sometimes it’s nice, ’cause none of my friends in real life crochet, so as much as they’ll entertain me and they’ll act like they’re interested when I’m telling them about, “Oh, I’ve seen this new yarn,” and they’re like, “Okay.” Like, they’re not really that interested. So it definitely felt like I was missing something. I, I really wanted to be part of like a, a real life crochet community. And it wasn’t until 2024 that I went to another craft group, local to me, and I was so nervous, unbelievably nervous. I don’t know why, but I really was. And I get there. And it was just brilliant. and it’s just opened me up to this whole other world again. I met one of my closest friends, she’s called Lauren, and we now just, like, we crochet. Well, she knits, I crochet, and we take our projects everywhere. It doesn’t matter where we are. She’ll come round and we’ll watch a film and we just crochet together. We go to yarn shows, we go yarn shopping, we’ll just go to different cities and check out the new yarn shops, and it’s just a real community sort of spirit. And everybody, apart from that first craft group that I went to where I had that bad experience, ever since then, everyone in this sort of community is just so warm and welcoming and it’s just such a huge part of my life now that I just couldn’t imagine, I just couldn’t imagine life without it, to be honest.

Helen: That’s so beautiful. I’m sure a lot of our listeners can relate because I know that we have all sorts of people out there hanging out and sewing together, and I’m sure there are people out there too who are still looking for their community and have yet to find it. So it’s really encouraging words from you to just keep trying, keep going out, putting yourself out there. You might meet your sewing bestie or your crochet bestie. You never know.

Nyala: Exactly. And whenever I post about it online, that I’m going to my wool club or I’m going to the craft group, people are always like, “Oh, I wish there was one near me,” and things like that. But what I say is, if there isn’t one near you, start it, because there’s someone else near you that wishes that it was there as well. And I just think sometimes we can really just kind of get inside ourselves, but there’s so, there’s such a huge community of people out there that just wanna be with like-minded people. So I mean, if you’re local to me in the Midlands, reach out to me and I can give you all the good spots. But other than that, I would say just start it.

Helen: Amazing. I’m curious, and I know our listeners probably are too, do you do any other fiber arts? Do you sew at all, perhaps?

Nyala: So, despite learning to knit first, ever since that dodgy scarf experience, I haven’t picked up knitting needles again, which is a travesty. And there isn’t really a reason why other than I don’t really have time because I’m so obsessed with crochet. And last year I was like, you know what? I’m gonna learn to knit socks. I don’t wanna learn to knit anything else. I just wanna learn to knit socks. Because I do think it’s the one thing that, crocheted socks, really, in my opinion, they don’t really work. They’re a bit chunky and they’re a bit thick. Whereas, with knitting, it’s a little bit more delicate. So it, it lends itself to socks. So I went and I, I went to Manchester, which is about an hour and a half away from me, to my favorite yarn shop. And I picked up some knitting needles and some new yarn, and those knitting needles and the yarn are still just sitting on a shelf and I haven’t done it. So the answer is no, I don’t knit. And I, and I would like to, but I don’t yet.

Sewing, on the other hand, sewing…I’m a little bit worried here because you guys are, like, experts, right? So I don’t wanna give off any sort of impression that I’m, like, a sewist, ’cause I’m not. I can get by. So for a lot of my projects, I’ve, I’ve recently kind of caught a bit of a bug for making bags, crochet bags. And for that, really that’s where the sewing kind of came into it because I like to line the bags with fabric. You don’t have to, but I do think it just makes things look a little bit more finished and you can kind of have a little bit of fun with, like, nice bright patterned linings and things. So I started sewing linings into bags, but I was using, I don’t know if you’ve seen them, they’re like handheld sewing machines. That was my introduction to sewing. I think they’re quite handy. You would probably look at it and laugh, but I think they’re quite handy. And as someone who doesn’t sew, I think, like, a proper sewing machine can be quite intimidating. But it wasn’t until, when I went to this craft group and I met Lauren. So Lauren is one of my closest friends. We’re convinced that we’re related somewhere along the line. And she’s a knitter, but really, like, first and foremost, she’s a sewist. And I dunno if you guys have heard of or watched the Great British Sewing Bee. She was actually on there, so she is, like, next-level sewist. She’s, she’s amazing. Like, honestly spectacular. So, becoming friends with her, when she saw me pull out this handheld sewing machine, she was like, “No friend of mine is gonna be walking around with a handheld sewing machine. We need to up your levels here, babes.” So since meeting her, I, now I can get by. She showed me the ropes. And I can confidently line a crochet bag. I still haven’t made any clothes, but this year she’s gonna teach me how to make, I really want, like, a sort of dressing gown, robe situation. So she said that we’re gonna sit down and she’s gonna teach me how to make that. But as it stands, I’m very much a beginner-level sewist. I’ll put it that way.

Helen: That’s amazing. You’re still a sewist. It a hundred percent counts. If you sew, you’re a sewist. There’s no barrier to entry here.

Caroline: Yeah. So you’ve mentioned blankets, bags. What other kinds of projects do you like to crochet?

Nyala: So bags is probably number one, simply because it’s kind of like a medium-level project in that it’s not super quick, but it doesn’t take that long, either. So you can get through them fairly fast and they’re still interesting. And also, with bags, I wear them a lot, so it’s something that I can constantly just reach for and wear and get a lot of wear out of them. They’re instant conversation starters as well. So whenever I’ve got, like, a cool, funky bag on that’s crocheted, people are always asking questions about it. So bags are definitely my number one at the minute.

Blankets, like I said, that was kind of what I used to gravitate towards. Um, at the minute, not so much. I’m definitely kind of in my, like, accessories, homeware sort of era. So I’m really enjoying doing, like, plant pots, baskets, candle holders, things for around the house. Maybe that’s the sign of me just kind of getting older. I’m not sure, but like, I’m, I’m more interested now in trying to make my house pretty. I do, every now and then, make cardigans. So one thing about me is, if I’ve got an event coming up, best believe I’m gonna be crocheting something for said event. So for example, last year I went to Wimbledon, so I made a bag for that. In October, I went to the Knit and Stitch Show, which is like a massive yarn show and sewing show in London. And so I crocheted a cardigan for that. So cardigans are definitely something that I do like to do as well. Oh, and hats, hats is always a good one. My partner’s bald, so he needs all the hats he can get. So I really like to make him hats as well. That’s, that’s, that’s a very selfless thing that I like to do. But yeah, mainly, at the minute, to be honest, bags and baskets. They are my hyperfixation at the minute.

Caroline: Ooh, fun. Oh, we love your bags so much. And one of our questions was gonna be, do people ask you about them? So you’ve already answered that. I know if I saw one of your bags on the street, I would be like, “Where is this from? Did you make it? I need more details.” They are incredible.

Nyala: Oh, thank you. This is kind of what’s prompted me to kind of release some of the bag patterns, because for every bag that I wear and I share, if it’s not somebody else’s pattern, I tend to have made it up myself, self drafted it. And I will always write a pattern, but it’s, that imposter syndrome kind of creeps in and I never release them. So I’ve kind of, I said it was my New Year’s resolution for last year. I’ll be honest, I’ll hold my hands up. It was my New Year’s resolution for last year to start a YouTube channel and release a pattern. I started the YouTube channel, but I haven’t released a pattern yet. So I’m definitely gonna do it this year. So, yeah, it’s, it is all that interest that I get from people just asking about the bags and things like that that’s kind of made me think, do you know what, just put the bag patterns out there. It seems like people like them, so just put the patterns out. So that’s, that’s the plan.

Helen: Absolutely. I think people will be thrilled to see some patterns for these incredible bags. And I mean, you mentioned that crochet makes you feel a lot of joy, earlier, and I think that really comes across in your makes on your social media. Your whole account is very joyful. There’s a lot of yellow. It’s so bright and cheerful and gorgeous. And I would love it if you could describe your personal style to our listeners and what kinds of things you like to wear.

Nyala: Personal style. Okay. So for me, I mean, colour, for me, is everything. So I’m always drawn to bright colours, as you mentioned, specifically yellow. Yellow is my favorite colour, and it has been since I was a child. I just find it, it’s joyful. It’s happy. And one thing about me is, if I’m having a particularly bad day, those are the days where I’ll wear the most colour because it just, it perks me up and it just, it makes me feel happy. And it’s almost kind of like a fake-it-till-you-make-it sort of situation. So I love dressing in a nice bright maximalist sort of style. I’m an autumn girl so, like, I like nice chunky, cozy things. I like to be warm and snuggly. I don’t mind summer, but really and truly, as soon as it, as soon as those leaves start to turn orange, that is, like, my sweet spot. So I like cozy fits that are still bright, inviting. I really enjoy just comfortable things, If I’m completely honest with you. I am someone who just likes to get cozy, snuggle up with my crochet, get a film on, listen to an audio book, candles. Like, I’m not the party girl anymore. I’m definitely the cozy indoor girl. So I just, like, my personal style is very much just carefree, but joyful, fun, bright, and cozy. I would say, cozy number one.

Helen: That’s perfect for crochet.

Caroline: So fun. We definitely encourage our listeners to go and check out your social medias and see how beautiful all of your makes are. I think we should get into the 101 stuff and kind of introduce our listeners to crochet. This is the first episode we’ve ever done about crochet, so we had a few basic questions that we were hoping you could help us with. First of all, can you just briefly explain the difference between knitting and crochet?

Nyala: Okay. So the, the main difference, I suppose, is that with knitting you’re using two needles and with crochet you’re using one hook. So there’s, I suppose, different categories when it comes to the differences. So the fabric that knitting creates tends to be a little bit more delicate and a little, has a bit more drape. Whereas crochet tends to have more structure and texture. Obviously, there is nuances to that. There are ways in which you can manipulate crochet so it has more of a drape and things. But generally speaking, crochet tends to have more structure and more texture and tends to be a little bit more sturdy, whereas knitted garments tend to have a little bit more fluidity, and on average they’re just a bit more delicate, I would say. With regards to the end result, knitting tends to be slower. So knitting’s slower than crochet. I don’t actually know the reason why for this. I think it’s more to do with how you manipulate the yarn. So when it comes to crochet, what you’re actually doing with the crochet hook is you’re essentially just making knots over and over again, different types of knots. So the work comes together quicker than it does with knitting. But what also that means is that, with crochet, you use more yarn. So I think it’s about 30% more yarn that you use with crochet as opposed to knitting. So you may need six balls of yarn for a crochet cardigan, and you may only need three balls for knitting. I mean, you would never need three balls, but that is just an example. So yeah, I would say crochet is the speedier of the two but it also, a lot of the time, ends up being a little bit more expensive because you’re using, you are using more yarn as well. I’d say that knitting is probably more associated with more, like, classic garments and crochet is often associated with more, like, bolder, vintage-style garments. And I’d say that crochet, it’s more portable, so it’s easier to kind of transport and do on the go simply because, with crochet, you are working each stitch as you go. So you make the stitch and then you’re done with it. Whereas with knitting, you have all your stitches lined up on your needles and you’re kind of working them off. So if you are interrupted or, you know, it’s your, it’s your time to get off the bus and you haven’t finished working that row, you might be in a bit of bother when you put it in your bag and then take it back out later. Whereas with crochet, you have a little bit more security with your stitches in that way.

Helen: Hmm. That’s really interesting. I’m fascinated by the yarn amount difference because I feel like, in my head, crochet has holes in it. But I know it doesn’t always have holes in it. But you know what I mean, that classic, like, seventies crochet has all the little holes in it, and unless you’re knitting lace, knitting is more solid. So it’s interesting that it uses more yarn.

Nyala: It’s because of what you’re doing with it. So because you’re making these knots, it just naturally takes up more yarn. And then what happens is, with crochet, like I said, it’s better suited to things that need a bit more structure. So for example, like I’m enjoying making a lot of baskets and bags. While you can make baskets and bags with knitting, it’s more suited to crochet just because you just get a bit of a denser fabric and it’s kind of a bit stiffer. Whereas with knitting, it’s just a little bit more, it’s a little bit more elegant, I would say, or can be more elegant. I don’t wanna upset anyone. It can be more elegant.

Caroline: Knitters, don’t come for us.

Helen: I know, all the knitters out there are gonna be like, “It’s super portable. It’s really easy. Yeah.

Caroline: We’re gonna have to do an episode about knitting after this.

Nyala: You have to. Please, take some of the heat off me.

Caroline: I do think that crochet feels like it’s, like, more three-dimensional, almost like there’s more thickness and depth to the stitches.

Nyala: One hundred percent. There’s more texture.

Caroline: Yeah. More texture. I’m always impressed, though, with just the amount of projects that you can do with crochet. Like when I look at your projects and other people who are really inspiring that do crochet, I’m like, wait, you made gloves? You made this beautiful full-length cardigan. You can make tops. You can make all kinds of things. It’s not that sort of, like, I don’t know, traditional grandmother making blankets and rags and things, you know?

Nyala: And I think crochet is, is definitely having a moment at the minute. And I do think that the, I, I mean, I, I love a granny square, for example. I love like a traditional sort of granny square project, and there’s definitely a space for that, but there is kind of this modern crochet movement at the minute, which I completely welcome. And it is, like, making things like face towels or coasters, scrunchies, like just little kind of cute little things that you can make for around your home and things. One of my favourite projects that I made a few years ago was like a massive, like, sort of foot pouf for my friend who was, just given birth and she wanted something to, like, rest her feet on that was really, really pretty. And just things for around the home. I think crochet is definitely more suited to those household items. So yeah, there’s a massive modern crochet movement at the minute. And one of the first books that I ever, crochet books that I ever purchased was by someone called Debrosse NYC. And she has just the most stunning sort of homeware crochet patterns that, they’re just so modern, and they’re just so far away from that traditional sort of grandma doily style that you that you kind of…

Caroline: To be clear, too, I have nothing against the doilies or the granny square. I’m like, grannies, don’t come for us. We love you.

Helen: I love a granny square. I just started crocheting. I was, like, preparing for the episode. I’m like, hey, I, I have a crochet hook around here somewhere. I know I do. I dug it out and I started crocheting and I was like, I’m making some granny squares. I’m figuring it out. And it was not that hard. It was so fun. Like, it’s just like you said, a bunch of knots. And it’s so satisfying. I’m like, okay, one more knot. One more knot. One more knot. One more knot.

Nyala: Exactly. Just keep going. Before you know it, it’s four in the morning.

Helen: Yeah, exactly.

Nyala: What are you making at the minute?

Helen: I’m just using some leftovers from knitting projects to make granny squares and I have like four or five of them now. And I don’t know what it’s gonna be, but I’m just making a bunch of different colours and see where it goes.

Nyala: I love that. And that’s the beauty of granny squares. You can start a project and you just don’t know where it’s gonna go. So that’s one thing that I really like about granny squares. ‘Cause you can just…like, I have a bag of granny squares. Don’t ask me what they’re for, but every now and then, I just need…they’re, they’re like a palate cleanser for me. So I just need to just sit and make some granny squares and I put them in that bag and one day they’ll be something, but I just dunno what, and they’re great for, like, really portable as well, granny squares, you know? You can just have them in your bag.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. I’m, I’m imagining maybe a blanket one day, but I also might not make that many, in which case, maybe a bag or something. I don’t know. We’ll see where it goes, but…

Nyala: Don’t be surprised. Once you go crochet, You never go back.

Helen: We’ll see. We’ll see. But…

Caroline: We’ll see.

Helen: We’ll see. No, I, I do love it. I think it’s so cute and portable, like you said. I love that aspect of it. I’ve been doing it in front of the tv, which has been very relaxing. But for our listeners who don’t know, maybe you could just tell us briefly what a granny square is so we can catch everybody up to speed.

Nyala: So a granny square essentially is a crocheted square using yarn, and it’s worked in the round. So it’s, yeah, you start in the middle, you work your way out. And traditionally, granny squares are made up of lots of different sort of fun colours. A lot of the time, like contrasting colours. So they’re nice, bright, fun projects. And once you’ve done your squares…so you can, technically a granny square can go as, you know, it can go as big as you want. You could just do a whole blanket that’s just one big square. But traditionally, people tend to do maybe like four or five rounds, depending on how thick the yarn is that they’re using. And then you will, by some method, tend to join them all together. And then you can create fun projects like blankets or bags or cardigans, jumpers, anything like that. But yeah, it’s, it’s basically a crochet square, worked in the round, often from the center out, and then you just build it as you go. And you can make ’em as big or as small as you like. By the way, once you master a granny square, I believe it just opens, that the world’s your, your oyster then, because granny squares basically teach you the stitches that are used for most crochet projects. And once you can do a granny square, you can do a granny hexagon. And once you can do a granny hexagon, you can do a granny triangle, which then just opens so many doors. Like if you search “hexagon cardigans,” for example, they’re just two massive crocheted hexagons. And you join them up the middle and it makes, literally, a body and sleeves. They’re so simple and a really good beginner-friendly project.

Caroline: So would you say a granny square is a good project to start out with as a beginner?

Nyala: 100%. Controversially, I didn’t start with granny squares, so I, I didn’t actually learn to make granny squares until a good few months into my crochet journey. But, having taught a few workshops now, and I’ve got a beginner’s workshop coming up in a couple of weeks. During that beginner’s workshop, I’m gonna spend the first 30 minutes kind of just going through your basic stitches and then we’re gonna move on to making granny squares simply because, like I said, I think that once you master a granny square, it just opens up so many other doors for you when it comes to crochet. And they’re so versatile. So you can, you know, during that workshop, the workshop’s only two hours, but you’ll be able to make, you know, a couple of granny squares and then you can take those home with you and just the world’s your oyster and you can keep going. So definitely I would say that granny squares are great for beginners.

Caroline: Mm. Amazing. Okay. Can we take it back for a second and talk about what tools you need to just get started? Like if I wanted to just go to the store, get what I need to make my first project, what would I need?

Nyala: So you’re gonna need some yarn and a crochet hook and scissors. Those are, like, your fundamentals to get started. Some patience, as well. That will help.

Caroline: That’s free.

Nyala: Those would be your essentials. But then, in addition to that, I think good things to always have on hand as well are stitch markers. Especially for beginners, if you are gonna be crocheting in the round, or even if you’re crocheting straight lines, stitch markers are really good so that you can pop them in the first stitch of your round and the last stitch of your round, just so that you can kind of keep on track and make sure you’re not adding any stitches. That tends to be, like, something that beginners will do. Something definitely that I did is you end up adding stitches in the wrong places so your project becomes misshapen. So stitch markers are always a good thing to have on hand. A project bag, just to kind of, you know, keep yourself nice and organized. Do as I say, not as I do, because I’m definitely not organized when it comes to my crochet there. If you ask, if you ask my boyfriend…just leave it there. But there’s stuff everywhere. But yeah, a nice project bag just to keep all your things nice and neat in there. But yeah, I think, main things: grab some yarn and a hook and some scissors and you’re good to go.

When it comes to beginners, I would always say the chunkier the better when it comes to the yarn. So use a chunky yarn or a super chunky yarn, just for while you are finding your feet. It’s easier to kind of grasp how to hold the yarn and the hook when the yarn is thicker. It’s easier to see your stitches and it’s easier also to see your mistakes. So if you are using, like, a really fine yarn, mistakes tend to go missed, especially when you’re a beginner. And it can just be quite fiddly. So I do think that, depending on what you wanna make, but people do tend to…I would say DK yarn, which stands for double knit, is, like, probably the most common yarn weight. But I would stay clear of that as a beginner and move towards something like chunky or super chunky. Just until you get your bearings; then you can fly.

Helen: And I know that there are different sizes of crochet hooks, but how important is it to use, like, the right size hooks? I know in knitting it’s actually quite important. So how does that work?

Nyala: Mmhmm. It’s important but, to me, I don’t think it’s set in stone. But it’s taken me quite a long time to kind of realise that, or maybe that’s just, that just comes with experience. I think, as a beginner, when you buy your yarn, if you look on the back of it, it’s always gonna tell you what knitting needle size you need and what crochet hook you need. As a beginner, I would always stick to that, as I did, because if you end up using a hook that’s too small for the yarn that you’re using, you can end up with, especially with crochet, you can end up with something, a garment or an item that’s gonna be incredibly stiff, hard to manipulate. And if you use a hook that’s too big for the yarn, it’s gonna be hard for you, then, to manipulate the yarn, and it might be a bit too loosey-goosey. However, as your confidence grows and you have a little bit more, I suppose, creative freedom over what you’re making, it’s important to kind of trust yourself a little bit. So for example, I’m making a scarf at the minute and the yarn that I’m using, I’m using aran weight merino, and it calls for a five millimeter crochet hook. But I know that, one, I’m a tight crocheter anyway. My tension tends to be quite tight and I know that about myself. Maybe it’s all the stress, I’m not sure. but I tend to crochet quite tight. But also, I really wanted the scarf to have quite a lot of drape to it. So that is something that you have to consider with crochet, because you do get a denser texture. If you want something to be a little bit more flowy and a little bit more carefree, just go up a couple of hook sizes and then you’re gonna get a little bit more of a drape. But that all comes with, like, time and experience and things like that. But yeah, it’s not set in stone. But definitely, for beginners, just stick to what it says on the yarn.

Helen: Fair enough. What about patterns? Because you’ve mentioned that you might be making some patterns this year, which is very exciting, so I imagine you do kind of draft your own or make up your own patterns, but do you ever use other designers’ patterns? Where would you recommend finding a good crochet pattern?

Nyala: I use patterns all the time because, especially with bags, I really enjoy kind of drafting my own patterns and making it up as I go along. But there’s a time and a place for everything. So there’s certain things, like if it’s a gift or if I’m making something for the first time or if it’s just not something that I’m very comfortable with…so like, in the world of crochet, you’ve got, like, your standard sort of crochet where you can make garments, blankets, things for the home, and stuff like that. But then you have got the other side of crochet, which is like amigurumi. And amigurumi is, essentially, like a lot of the times it’s making like toys or figurines and things with yarn. That scares me. I’ve been crocheting for almost 10 years and for some reason amigurumi scares me. I’ve done it a few times and every single time I do it, I love it. So don’t ask me why it still scares me, but it does. So my little brother, for example, there’s quite a large age gap between me and my youngest brother. So he’s only seven. And often he will ask for a crocheted teddy bear or a crocheted octopus or something along those lines. That tends to be amigurumi. So when it comes to things like that, I’m always gonna follow a pattern because it’s just not my forte and it’s just not a place where I feel comfortable.

But in addition to that, there’s a lot of pattern designers that I just love anyywhere. So I find a lot of patterns through Instagram. I find them on Etsy. Controversially, I don’t use Ravelry. Lauren told me recently that I need to start using Ravelry as a resource. So Ravelry is a good place, a good place to go for patterns, and I know a lot of people do use it, but personally I just don’t. And I also use Pinterest as well. And YouTube, YouTube as well. Massive resource there for patterns and tutorials. So, yeah, I, I love following a pattern. Some of my favourite makes have been other people’s patterns. My favourite pattern designers are probably Yarn Theory, who is on Instagram and YouTube, actually. And you’ve got Realm Designs, who is a UK pattern designer. She does lots of, like, cool sort of funky retro style crochet garments, hats, accessories, things like that. And then you’ve got the absolute G and GOAT that is Toni from TLY Yarn Crafts and she’s on YouTube and it was actually her blanket tutorial that was the first tutorial that I ever watched. She is amazing. She’s like the gold standard and, yeah, her patterns are always top-tier.

Helen: Wow. Okay, great. We’ll link all of that up. And I’m sure, much like sewing patterns in the sewing community, you can check hashtags and you can go on Ravelry and see all the different projects that people have made using those patterns. You can do some research beforehand and see what you might wanna do with the project, which is amazing.

Nyala: Yeah. 100%.

Caroline: So you mentioned beginners maybe using a chunkier yarn to start out. We talked a little bit about DK weight. Do you have a favourite type of yarn that you like to work with?

Nyala: When it comes to weight, I was gonna say the chunkier the better, but that’s not entirely true. But I do lean more towards chunkier yarns, so it’s very rare that you’ll see me using anything thinner than a DK. So if we was to start from the bottom, so you’d have, like, your lace weight yarns, and then your fingering weight yarns, and then your DK. Even DK, for me, it’s just a bit, Ooh. I just, I dunno. I just like things to feel like they’ve got a bit of substance. And I also like projects to work up quite quickly. So the chunkier the yarn, the quicker the project. So a lot of the time I am using aran weight yarns or chunky yarns, especially for things like baskets, because I just think they look better and they’ve just got more structure to them. But in terms of fibers, I absolutely love crocheting with cotton. So cotton is really fun to crochet with ’cause it’s so versatile. You can crochet, like, nice little summer outfits or things for the home. Cotton aran is 100% my sweet spot. I know that mohair is having, like, a massive moment at the minute. And you know, I, I like mohair. I think it’s fun and it’s pretty to look at. It’s very delicate and it’s gorgeous, in all fairness. But if I was gonna use mohair, I would hold it with an additional yarn. So I would use, like, a mohair and a DK just so it’s a little bit thicker. But there’s plenty of, like, gorgeous patterns at the minute that are all just mohair and very delicate and silky. But I just, it’s just not for me.

Caroline: That makes a lot of sense. I agree. Mohair is so beautiful, but it would intimidate me. It looks so sort of delicate and …

Nyala: It’s super, it’s really delicate and, and the, the hardest thing about mohair, and it’s not just mohair, it’s a lot of natural fibers. So one thing I would say for beginners is, there’s loads of different types of yarns that you can use. Acrylic yarn is, so, it’s, it’s not got any natural fibers in it. It’s a manmade yarn. And acrylic tends to be on the more affordable side. So I’d say for beginners, when you, when you’re first starting out, acrylic’s like a really good place to start. And then when you start like venturing into, like, real wool and mohair and things like that, one thing that happens or that can happen is, if you make a mistake with mohair, trying to, we call it frogging, which is basically just trying to undo your work, can get quite tricky because the fibers sort of stick together. So a top tip from me, if you ever are in a situation where you’re trying to pull your work apart or trying to undo some stitches and it’s just knotting up and not working: pop your project in a bag, put it in the freezer for like an hour or two and then take it out and it will come away loosely. So there’s just something to bear in mind.

Helen: Cool. I love a tip like that. That’s so fun.

Caroline: Okay. I have a super beginner question. As someone who doesn’t crochet, doesn’t knit, I feel like I’m gonna get roasted for this, but can I just go to a yarn store and the same yarns that can be used for knitting can be used for crochet? Like it’s, like, full crossover of materials?

Nyala: Yeah, 100%. So, full crossover of materials. However, there’s certain materials, and I, and I’m speaking more from a crochet perspective here, just because that’s what I know about more. There’s certain things that I would crochet with but wouldn’t knit with. So for example, a lot of the bags that I make, I’m using, like, braided cords. So they’re like macrame kind of cords. And the reason I like to use those is because they’re just really sturdy, they have great longevity, they don’t wear down, and they’re stable. Especially for bags, when you’re gonna be putting a lot of things in them, you need it to be able to kind of hold the weight. So it’s really easy to crochet with those sort of cords. I think it would be harder to knit with them. I think it is definitely doable, but those sorts of fibers are definitely, like, more suited towards crochet. But if you walk into any yarn shop there’s gonna be walls and walls of yarn, yet nine times outta 10, anything that you can use to crochet with, you can use to knit with as well.

Caroline: I love this. It’s like two hobbies in one.

Nyala: It is, it is like two hobbies in one, but then at the same time they’re so different. So I don’t know if you guys were able to watch any of the new show, it’s a, it’s a British TV show, it’s called The Game of Wool.

Helen: No, I haven’t.

Nyala: Have you heard any of the, have you heard any of the controversy around it or any of the drama?

Caroline: No! Oh no. Tell us!

Nyala: Oh my gosh, girls, let me get my tea. No, it’s a new show, so it’s kind of, it’s a very sort of similar sort of format to The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great British Bake-Off. But it’s called The Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter. Already controversial, because they do knitting and crochet. So the title was a bit…

Caroline: Wow. Okay.

Nyala: Um, but yeah, on that show it kind of demonstrates how different the two sort of techniques are. So one week they would be asked to crochet something and one week they would be asked to knit something and to be able to do the two so well is, like, an amazing skill, because I think to a lot of people who are just not involved in that world, you’d think, well, if you can knit, you can crochet. And that is just not the case at all. They are two very, very different skill sets, in my opinion. Well, I’d say in a lot of people’s opinion, according to the feedback from the show. So yeah, they are very, very different skills. But there’s definitely some, some crossover there in terms of the materials that you can use. I would say that maybe the troubleshooting can be quite similar. So as a crocheter, once I’ve got into knitting, it might be easier for me to spot where I’ve gone wrong, or easier for me to not make as much mistakes because I’m kind of used to crocheting. But again, even, like, with sewing, I would say, sewing would really help out anybody that’s wanting to get into, like, fiber arts, because if you’re wanting to crochet garments, for example, and you’re used to sewing garments, you are already kind of aware of, like, how a garment’s constructed and, like you, you know that you’re gonna need a back and you’re gonna need two front panels and sleeves. And so all that sort of stuff kind of helps. But yeah, it’s, knitting and crochet are definitely two very different skill sets. And the worst thing that you can do to someone that’s crocheting is say, “Oh, what are you knitting?” Because, just, just that, that will be like World War 3. Don’t do that.

Caroline: Oh!

Helen: I love this kind of drama. It’s my favourite. It’s my favourite kind of drama, to be honest. It’s amazing.

Nyala: I’m, I’m so here for it.

Helen: I wonder if it’s similar to the sewing garments and the quilting communities. Like, you’re using the same materials, you’re using the sewing machine. There’s so much crossover, so many similarities, and yet, very different communities, very different skill sets. And not everybody does both, even though they both sew. So I wonder if that’s kind of a similar analogy.

Nyala: I reckon so, because I know, like I said, my friend Lauren who does, so she started out, I think her first project was, was a quilt. We’ve got a festival over here called the Festival of Quilts. And when you go there, it’s very much, like, quilt-focused. Like, they don’t wanna talk about dressmaking, don’t ask me about dressmaking. It’s very much focused on quilts. So yeah, my good, good friend Lauren, Lauren Tedstone, she is always giving me, giving me the tea and the goss in the, in the sewing world.

Helen: Amazing. I love that. Okay. Well, speaking of sewing garments, um, I think our listeners might be curious about, first of all, like, what would be a beginner, a doable garment crochet project? And then secondly, like, could they incorporate crochet into their sewing garments in different ways? Are there ways that you’ve seen people do that?

Nyala: Yeah, so I think what I mentioned earlier, really, like, with the hexagon cardigans, that’s, like, a really great place to start because you’re essentially just making two big hexagons. And it’s so simple and so easy, and it kind of sounds quite hard to picture, but when it’s laid out in front of you, it all makes sense. But if I was a beginner again, I would definitely lean towards, like, hexagon cardigans or crocheted cardigans in general. Especially because, when it comes to a cardigan, they’re a little bit more forgiving in terms of fit. So jumpers, you know, you, depending on, obviously, your body shape and size, but you’re a little bit more restricted with jumpers when it comes to fit. Whereas, like, cardigans, you know, you slap some buttons or a tie on there, everything’s gonna work out. And I do think that there’s definitely room for crossover when it comes to sewing and crochet. Like I said, I like to sew linings in my bags. There’s absolutely no reason why you couldn’t, you know, sew a lining into your cardigan. I, currently I’m working on some projects at the minute where I wanna make some scarves, and because of the type, my hair type and texture, I can’t wrap a crocheted scarf around my hair because it’s gonna cause too much friction and breakage. So I’m gonna sew, like, silk linings into my crocheted scarves and things like that. There’s definitely some cool sort of innovative ways that you can combine the two.

Helen: Oh, that’s really cool. What a great idea. I saw a cool video online, too, where someone was crocheting onto the bottom of just, like, a T-shirt, to make it longer, and it looked so cute.

Nyala: Oh my gosh. Yeah, you can, because…that’s such a good idea, actually. Like, you can crochet onto the bottom and do like, like a little scalloped edge on the bottom. Or crochet collars, as well. A really kind of cute, like, decorative way to kind of just make a plain T-shirt have a little bit more character. So you could do, like, a crocheted collar or, there’s, like, crocheted stitch work that you could do on, like, your button band. So yeah, there’s definitely, there’s definitely, like, fun, interesting ways that you can incorporate the two, for sure.

Caroline: Ooh. And I’m just looking at the hexagon cardigans and they’re so cute and kind of, like, oversized? So I feel like the fit would be pretty easy.

Nyala: Yeah, that’s exactly what I mean. They’re super oversized and I recently made one with the chunkiest yarn that you could ever imagine, and it is the most obnoxious, just big, chunky, cuddly, squishy thing. And I just love it so much.

Caroline: Yeah. Cozy. I love it. Do you think it’s hard to get a good fit, generally, on garments in crochet?

Nyala: I don’t think that it’s hard, but I think that it all just comes with, like, time and experience, really. I think, for myself, I definitely lean towards more oversized fits in general. And I do think that oversized dressing and, like, baggy things are a bit more trendy at the minute. And if you wanted something that’s a little bit more tailored, you can achieve that with crochet because there’s things, there’s little things you can do. Like you can add elastic into things, for example, just to give you a bit more shape. But also, we have something called blocking, which is basically what you do after the fact. So once you’ve finished crocheting your garment, what you can do is you can have a wet block or steam block and basically you would, if you’re steam blocking, you would steam the garment and if you’re wet blocking, you would submerge it in water, drain the water out, and then you wanna pin it basically into shape so you can pin it into shape using blocking mats. And what this does is it kind of relaxes the stitches and relaxes the fibers and just helps you kind of get your desired shape. So if you’ve made something, for example, and it’s a little bit snug or a little bit too small, don’t panic, you can, a lot of the time, kind of aid that and help that with a bit of blocking and that can kind of help you get the more desired shape that you was after. And it does also make the garments look a little bit more polished and finished off as well.

Helen: Yeah, I understand that blocking is completely transformative. Sometimes, like, it can really make a huge difference. I love the before and after blocking videos. Those are always fun to watch. Okay. What about time spent? Obviously crochet’s gonna be a little slower than sewing, for the most part. Makes sense. You’re making the fabric one stitch at a time. But how long would you say it takes to, let’s say, make this hexagon sweater we’ve been talking about?

Nyala: It’s gonna depend largely on the yarn that you use. So the chunkier the yarn, the quicker the garment’s gonna come together. And also it’s gonna depend on your general speed, like how fast you are as a crocheter. I would say I’m quite a slow crocheter, to be honest. I didn’t use to think that, but having watched Game of Wool and they have literally like eight hours to pull something together, I’m like, okay, I can’t do that. So there’s definitely, like, a personal element in it. But for a cardigan, I would say on average maybe three weeks. And that’s, you know, if you’re doing it kind of outside of everyday life. So you are doing it in the evenings or doing it on the weekends, I would say a good three weeks, if you’re lucky enough that, I dunno, say you’re on holiday or you’ve got plenty of free time and you’re not doing anything else, you could easily crochet a cardigan in probably like four days. But I’d be careful with that. You have to take breaks, take breaks and stretch, stretch your fingers because, like, obviously, like, repetitive strain is, like, so common. So you have to, you know, make sure you’re taking breaks and really stretching out your fingers. And I really make sure that I do that a lot because this hobby, it just means so much to me and I would hate to, like, lose it by, you know, having, like, ailments when I get older where I can’t, like, use my hands anymore. And it is definitely like a strain on your body. So if you are gonna put in a session then, you know, just make sure you take breaks.

Caroline: Yeah. Learn the stretches that you need. I can’t imagine this show, Game of Wool, like, if they’re like, “Make something in eight hours,” like, it feels like a recipe for injury. Like, just furiously knitting?

Nyala: It is. And so this was kind of how my YouTube channel came about, because me and my friend Lauren, we would sit and watch a Game of Wool and, like, react to it. And I would post that on YouTube. And that was, like, one of our things. We were like, “How are they coping?” Because I know, for me, if I’m sitting and I’m crocheting for eight hours, gosh, I’m gonna be stiff as a board. But what happened was, it was kind of, again, just like, it just goes to show this amazing community, that two of the contestants from the show actually reached out to me after seeing my YouTube videos and they were like, “We’d love to come on your channel.” So Lauren and I traveled down to London to meet with them and we got all the behind-the-scenes tea and we got all the gossip on the, what happened on the show. And one of the things that I can share, there’s a lot that I can’t, but one of the things I can share is that they actually had, like, a physio on set. So they had a physio on set. They had people bringing them, like, hot water bottles and going through stretches with them. And they were, like, really well looked after and they would get like massages and stuff after, like, long filming days. So they were looked after, definitely. So, yeah. But it’s, it’s still gonna be, like, a strain.

Helen: Well, and on top of that, all the stress. Like, I mean, I’ve seen the Sewing Bee and, you know, the Pottery Throw-Down, Bake-Off. Like, those people are stressed out.

Nyala: Yeah, exactly. And I think, out of all of those things that you’ve just mentioned, like, knitting and crochet takes the longest. Like, you can make a dress in a day. Obviously they are asking them to do it in a few hours, but that’s kind of like just a little bit of time pressure. Whereas, like, with knitting and crochet, to ask someone to, like, crochet, there was one week they had to crochet a mohair sweater and they had like 10 hours to do it. And I’m just like, whoa. They are like, honestly, the talent on that show is next level. And now, having met two of the contestants, they’re lovely people as well. So hopefully it gets, um, season two so I can commentate on it all over again.

Helen: That’s amazing. We’ll definitely link up that commentary video for our listeners too, so they can check that out.

Caroline: Yeah. So you did mention YouTube already, but are there any other learning resources that you would recommend for a beginner?

Nyala: Yeah, so like I say, I learnt it all on YouTube, so it’s probably very, like, quite a modern way to learn, I suppose. But it’s a, it is great if you are a visual learner because you have the video there in front of you. You’ve got someone talking you through it. You’ve also got people in the comments as well. Like, don’t skip looking at the comments because, nine times outta 10, if you are stuck on a bit, somebody else got stuck in it as well. And then people tend to, like, help each other out in the comments. So YouTube is definitely number one. Number two would be, like, going and finding local workshops or events where you can go and get kind of in-person help. I’m a visual learner. I know a lot of people can sort of look at books and things like that, but for me, I, I definitely need, like, that visual assistance when it comes to learning to crochet. So yeah, if you can’t, if you can’t make it out to anywhere that’s got classes or anything like that, for me, 100% YouTube is, like, the place to be.

Caroline: Okay, amazing. And can you recommend any inspiring crochet accounts? Obviously we’re recommending yours to all of our listeners.

Nyala: Thank you.

Caroline: But what are your favourites?

Nyala: My favourites would be, um, so we’ve got Realm Designs, who I mentioned earlier. She’s, like, a British designer. She’s got a book coming out soon, actually. She’s amazing. I did a pattern test for her last year. All of her designs are, like, really fun and colourful and she brought out this tulip cardigan where basically it’s just a cardigan made up of rows of tulips and it’s just so fun and sweet and great for springtime. You’ve got Love Indy. She’s really cool. She does more, like, crochet wall hangings, very sort of Y2K vibes, very nice, cutesy sort of things. I just finished some mittens by Cosmaudi. I, I hope I’m saying that correctly. But her Instagram is, like, top-tier. Really nice kind of aesthetically pleasing sort of crochet videos. And the mittens that I’ve just done was the first pattern of hers that I followed, but it was also an, an excellent pattern, as well. So, yeah, she’s really fun. Katie Joslin. She’s kind of a new account, actually, but she does a lot of, like, crochet garments that are just very pretty and very nice. And she’s, she’s lovely as well. And then I have to, I have to shout out my girl, Keisha, who is Knitted by Kee. She is a knitting and crochet genius. And lots of…so for me, my, my favorite colour is yellow and, like, my whole page is yellow. She’s the orange girl. She’s 10 outta 10. And then, then if I’ve got time, I have to shout out, I’ve spoken about her a lot, but Lauren Tedstone, Made by Lauren Tedstone. Your listeners will absolutely adore her because she’s all sewing and knitting and she’s just 10 outta 10 as well, so I have to shout her out.

Helen: Oh, amazing. Yes.

Caroline: And we’ll see her on your YouTube channel as well, right?

Nyala: Yeah, she’s, she features heavily on my YouTube channel. So the YouTube, we do, like I said, we did the watch parties for the show, but then I’ve got a lot of vlogs on there and, you know, I do share a lot of crochet-related content, but also I’m, I’m an oversharer. So on all of my platforms, it’s not just crochet, it’s me as well and, like, everybody that’s kind of in and around my life. So you’ll get to meet all the characters on the, on the YouTube and the Instagram.

Helen: Amazing. Okay. Before we let you go, we need to talk about one of the projects that you made that we just thought was absolutely incredible and so inspiring, which is your book blanket. So can you tell our listeners about this book blanket please?

Nyala: I can! I love the book blanket. It’s a little bit bittersweet, to be honest, talking about this, but I wish I could say who the first person was that came up with it. Sadly, I can’t, I, I genuinely don’t know. But I’d, I’d seen it on TikTok a couple of years ago, that people were starting to crochet a book blanket and it, and it piqued my interest because, as well as crocheting, I love, love to read. So essentially, what a book blanket is, is for every book that you read, you crochet a square. It can be a traditional granny square or any type of square. You crochet a square in the colors of the book cover. So for my book blanket, I’m doing, like, these sort of retro flower squares that tend to use around four colours, and I’m just using the colours that are in, in the books. Sadly, though, I’ve kind of let myself down a little bit because I, I started it last year and I was hoping to, basically, do one for every year. But what happened was, I was on a roll until maybe like August, and I was reading like four books a month, doing really, really well. And then, I dunno, the sunshine came out and the thing with the UK is, when the sun’s out, you can’t just let it go by. Like, you have to get outside and get into it. So what that meant was my reading kind of slowed down. So I haven’t ended up with enough squares to create a blanket. So we’re bringing it into 2026 as well. Which is, it’s like, it’s, it’s, it’s a good thing and it’s a bad thing ’cause I wanted to start a new book blanket this year. But actually, it’s fine. I’m just gonna continue with this one and I’m about halfway through. But it’s, honestly, it’s a great way to kind of, you know, like people talk a lot about like, habit stacking. I like to do hobby stacking. So I’m reading and I’m crocheting and it’s just, it’s just a great way to tick, like, two hobbies off at once. I adore it.

Caroline: I think you can give yourself a pass on this one. You gotta enjoy the sunshine when it comes out. Over here on the west coast of Canada, we can relate. It is the rainforest out here, so we are outside when it’s sunny. Um, and there, yeah, you’ve got many years ahead to continue with this. This is incredible. It’s so fun and colourful and I really encourage our listeners to go check out this project. Do you have a favourite book that you can recommend from all the different books that you’ve read so far?

Nyala: I do. There’s two. The first one is, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. At the minute I’m trying to read books that are, like, quite joyful and happy and just like, just really good old-fashioned escapism. And this book follows the journey of a girl called Eleanor and you will just, you’ll fall in love with her. She’s a bit quirky, little bit odd, but she’s, she’s, she’s amazing. And it’s just a story of her life and the interesting kind of turns that it’s, that it’s taken. So that’s a great book. I love that book. Have either of you read that?

Helen: I have, yeah. It’s really good. I loved it.

Nyala: Isn’t she cool?

Helen: Yeah. Mmhmm. Yeah. Amazing. I’m sure our listeners would love that one, too.

Nyala: And then, secondly, The Names by Florence Knapp. That book, it’s a new book actually, that was an interesting one. And that is all about kind of the power of the name that you choose for a child. So it shows basically three different universes. So this woman has a baby and it shows what her son is like when he’s named one thing, a second thing, or a third thing, and how it shapes who he is as a person. Very interesting kind of concepts. I really like that one as well.

Helen: Wow. Okay. Would you recommend that for somebody who’s currently in the process, not me, personally, but anyone out there who’s currently in the process of trying to name their child, or is that a bit, is it too much for them?

Nyala: It is a bit deep in parts, so there’s definitely trigger warnings there. But yeah, I suppose so, because I do think it is important what you name your child. So it would definitely cause food for thought, but just, just proceed with caution because there’s some quite deep and dark bits. So just, yeah, take your time.

Helen: Okay. Amazing.

Caroline: Sounds incredible.

Helen: We’ll link all of this up.

Caroline: Adding it to my list. Yeah. Okay. Well, thank you so much for coming on the show today. This was so much fun. Can you tell our listeners where they can find you online?

Nyala: Oh, thank you for having me. I’m honestly, I’m overwhelmed. I’m so happy to be here. you can find me on Instagram @crochet_junction. You can find me on YouTube @crochetjunction29. And you can also find me on TikTok @crochet_junction. But I will be very honest, guys. TikTok is, yeah, TikTok’s not really for me, so we’ll just stick to, stick to the Instagram and the YouTube. That’s, that’s where all the fun’s happening.

Helen: Amazing. We’ll definitely link everything up and I can’t wait to continue my crochet journey. Thank you for inspiring us.

Nyala: Yay. I’m so excited. I, I can’t wait to see what you make.

Helen: Okay, well take care, Nyala, thank you! Bye!

Caroline: Thanks so much.

Nyala: Bye guys. Take care. Bye.

Helen: That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Helen, at Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co. and Caroline at Blackbird fabrics and BF Patterns. We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Caroline: You can support Love to Sew and get access to bonus content by subscribing on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. You even get access to the back catalog of bonus episodes. That is over 75 hours of Love to Sew. Go to patreon.com/lovetosew or check out our podcast page on Apple Podcasts for more info.

Helen: Head to lovetosewpodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, you can leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428. Or send us an email at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.

Caroline: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant and Jordan Moore of The Pod Cabin is our editor. And thank you all for listening. We’ll talk to you next week.

Helen: Bye bye.

Caroline: Bye.

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