Tell us a bit
about yourself...
I live in the north
of Sweden with
my family, I have
two daughters
aged three and
six. I was born
in Vienna in
Austria and nine years ago we moved to
Sweden. I work with young people who
are not working and not in education, in
a little municipality called Berg. We built
a new house in the woods four years ago.
What do you do? I crochet blankets
mainly. I love to experiment with new
techniques. I mostly use the mosaic
technique. Recently I’ve been working
with very simple, easy designs.
Why did you set up your blog? My
blog is mostly a channel to upload my
patterns. I try to always make a free
version of my patterns available. I also
write a little about nature and the beauty
that surrounds me here in the north of
Sweden which is also a big inspiration for
my crochet. Moose, deer, foxes and owls
live very close to my house. I am also very
interested in photography.
Do you use any other social media?
I mostly use Instagram for my crochet
and photography. I am better at
expressing myself in pictures then in
words. So, Instagram is the perfect
channel for me. I am also on Facebook.
Have you made new friends through
blogging? Not really through the blog
but through Instagram. Or maybe it is
better to say that I made new friends
through crochet. Social media gives
you the opportunity to get in touchwith people all over the world. My main
tester Alex has became a close friend.
The Scheepjes family is a group of loving
and extremely high class crocheters. And
designer Tinna from Iceland who I had
the opportunity to meet in real life.
When did you learn to crochet? I started
to craft nine years ago when I moved to
Sweden. I needed new hobbies when I
moved from the big city to a rural area in
the north. First it was knitting but pretty
soon I changed the needles to the hook. It
was an old lady at a retirement home who
said to me: “Martin, it is very clear to me
that you will never be a very good knitter.
But you should try crochet. And if you
want, I can teach you.” And so, we started
to crochet together. The rest is history.
How did you start designing? I fi r s t
started to adapt patterns, so they
matched my needs. And suddenly they
became designs. When I see something
interesting I think, “Would it be possible
to crochet?” And then I try it.
Do you have any mentors? My biggest
mentor is my daughter Lotta who often[martinupnorthblog.wordpress.com]MARTIN ETLINGER
Austria and nine years ago we moved toWE LOVEB l o
08 Inside Crochet
art & resistance
Out & about
➻A poignant new exhibition of work
of artists from the Deep South of
America is showing at the Turner
Contemporary gallery in Margate,
from 7 February to 3 May. We Will
Walk brings together sculptures,
paintings and quilts by 20 African
American artists, many coming
to Europe for the fi rst time. The
artists lived through the Civil Rights
struggle in the ’50s and ’60s and
its aftermath, often in conditions of
poverty. Many pieces are made from
salvaged materials.
http://www.turnercontemporary.orgYou’ll fi nd over 80 exhibitors at the
fabulous Unravel festival this year,
including a new Indie Maker Market.
Dedri Uys will be holding two crochet
classes and Inside Crochet designer
Helda Panagary will be talking about
overcoming adversity through craft.
Says organiser Allison Thistlewood:
“Makers want to fi nd a way to come
together to share that love of craft
and community. We’re thrilled to be
able to provide a space for that.”
21–23 Febuary. Tickets £10 in advance.
http://www.farnhammaltings.com
CR E ATI V E J OY!