First weekend at Accrington Market Hall

It was a great first weekend in at Accrington market hall.
Friday and Saturday saw the first two scheduled Learn To Crochet workshops at the market stand, which will be my home for the next month or so.
I will be running lots more drop-in sessions over the next few weeks if you would like to take part in the project. (dates details are at the end of those post)

For the first stage of this project I am really eager to get as many people to learn to crochet as possible. Once i have taught the basics, I am asking people to make a little piece of creative crochet that will be included in a series of new sculptural pieces that will hang in the market hall and around the town centre.

Many thanks to everyone who stopped by and took part in the session, and to those who took the time to stop and chat to me about the project. I was really pleased to hear the many fond memories and stories from people remembering aunts, grandmothers and mothers crocheting clothes, blankets.... toilet roll covers!!!!!  and that they are looking forward to seeing the final stages of the project come together.

Here are a few snaps from the weekend:

Setting up the space on Friday morning.....

As you will notice, I have the perfect spot in the market hall..... right outside the wool shop!

Accrington Habiknit

View of the market hall from the stand at the end of a very busy day.

Hanging out some samples for passers by to see...

These sprials are really easy to make and I spent Saturday afternoon teaching the ladies in the next photo how to make them...

Melissa from the local knit and natter group stopped by to take part in the crochet session with her friend...

Melissa made this crochet piece of free formed crochet based around a traditional granny square pattern, to contribute to the project.... Thank you Melissa.

It's not often I voluntarily upload a picture of myself to the internet, however I could not miss out this one of me (on the right) teaching to lovely Pippa (aged 8) and her mum Deborah, who were the first passers by to stop and have a go at crochet. Deborah took away some yarn and a hook to carry on what she learnt and will be bringing back some crochet pieces for the project.

Pippa on the other hand made this wonderful flower, with a little it of help from yours truly....

Also.. Pippa old me that her favourite colour in the whole world is pink!

Thank you pippa!

And here are some of the pieces we have made so far for the Crocheting Accy project.

Over the next few weeks I will be running some more Learn To Crochet workshops at the Market Hall.

Then dates are: 

• Friday 3rd September 10am - 1pm

• Saturday 4th September 10am - 1pm

• Thursday 9th  September 10am - 1pm

• Friday 10th  September 10am - 1pm

• Saturday 11th  September 10am - 1pm

I have also been kindly invited along to the first Knit & Natter group at the Civic Arts Centre in Oswaldtwistle on Wednesday 1st September and I will be there between 11am and 2.30pm.

I hope you can make it along to one of my drop in sessions to learn how to crochet.

There are also other ways to take part in the project....

Towards the end of September I will be starting to piece together several sculptures that will be made out of the crochet pieces made at the drop in workshop sessions.

I will soon be releasing the dates for these sessions so keep posted!

And one final thing.... some wacky crochet  to inspire you, and also my dream home, a house full of crochet!

Researching...

As a start the new project in Accrington, I have been looking at a few books which have been pushed my way through the knitting and crochet networks over here in Salford.

A good friend, and crochet enthusiast Roger Newton  has loaned me 2 books all about the wonderful art of free formed crochet. Having spent quite a long time sifting through the many wonderful images and texts, I have pulled a few out to share with you, which I will definitely been using as inspiration when building the crochet art works for display.

I've scanned a few images to share with you...

Creative Crochet : Nicki Hitz Edson and Arlene Stimmel

(published in 1973 in the UK by Sit Issac Pitman & Sons Ltd. ISBN 0-8230-1040-6)

Horn-nosed Hand Puppet by Mark Dittrick and Detail of Wolf Mask by Nicki Hitz Edson

Crazy Quilt Afghan by Helen Bitar

The Crocheter's Art: New Dimensions in Free-form Crochet: Del Pitt Feldman

(published in 1975 by Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd,  ISNB: 0 17 149036 3)

Wall Hanging by Sherry Cook. (10ft long, wool)

Journey in Three Stages by Verlys Tarren Reese

Welcome note

ArtYarn are really delighted to to be working on a brand new project this summer in Accrington town centre. We don't know Accrington that well so we are really looking forward to discovering new places and spaces, and sharing our crafting skills with the local community to make our new, exciting project.

We will soon be releasing a series of Learn to Crochet workshop dates that will run throughout August and  September, which are completely free to the public. 

The workshops will be run as  'drop in style' sessions, all materials are included and you will be asked to contribute to a community art project at some stage if you wish!

The idea behind the project is to create many crochet pieces that resemble floral structures, by using a very easy technique known as 'free forming'.  It's a very easy technique to master and if you have never crocheted before, it's a great way to learn!!

We will then run a series of workshops that will focus on sewing together all the crocheted pieces to make soft sculptural pieces that will be positioned around the town centre as hangings, garlands and sculptures.

We are particularly keen on creating a larger piece to hang in Accrington Market Hall. At this stage we are really happy for our project brief to evolve and change as the project goes along.

If you would like to know anything more about the project, or have any direct questions for us, you can e-mail Rachael at: info@artyarn.org

We also have a website and a blog and the links to them are on the left hand side of this page.

See you in Accy very soon :o)