Simply Crochet - UK (2020-04)

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GOOD READ

K

ellyBrookslivesinCanada,where
theforestsofhersurroundings
havehelpedhergetcreativewith
uniquecrochetdesigns,andeven
comeupwiththetoolsofhertrade.
“Whatinspiresmeis nature,particularly
woodedareas,”sheexplains,“butthere
aresomanylayerstothat.Thereis
inspirationinthecoloursandtexturesof
course,butI findmyselfdrawingmore
fromthefeelingI getwhenI’mwalking
downa paththrougha forest.Whentheair
is coolerfromthetreecover,andyou’re
overcomewiththatneedtoburrowinto
thesafetyofanoversizedscarfasthe
breezeblowsthroughthetrees.WhatcanI
makethatwillkeepmecosyandhappyas
I’mexploringourbigbeautifulworld?”
This love of nature is coupled with a

desiretokeepherdesignsrelaxingto

crochet,“I’msomeonewholovesa good

mindlessproject,”shesays.“Anaccessory

youcankickbackandpeacefully work

throughaftera longday.

“Myfirstdesignwasa cocoonsweater,

whichwasessentiallya modernised

versionoftheclassicgrannysquare.I still

can’tgetenoughofgrannysquares, and I

amfascinatedwiththeendless

possibilitiesthatcomefromthestitch

combinationsinonesquare,tothe

combinationofmultiplesquaresinone

finisheddesign.I releasedthecocoon

sweaterpatternin2016,andamcurrently

workingona new,moreadvanced granny

squaregarmentdesignnow.”

Thedecisiontocreateherowndesigns,

rather than simply enjoy crochet as a

hobby,cameaboutbyaccident.“Themain

reasonwasbecauseI couldn’tfigureout

howthehecktoreadtheoneswrittenby

otherdesigners!I triedbutcouldn’tgrasp

thestepsnomatterwhatkindofaccessory

orgarmentI triedtomake.Whenlifegives

youlemons,makelemonade– thatis,

jumpblindlyintotheabyssofcrochet

designandhopeforthebest!”

Herloveofmindfulness,crochetand

natureallcometogetherharmoniouslyon

Kelly’s@knitbrooksInstagrampage.“For

me,knitbrooksstartedoutasa timefiller,

andslowlytransformedintosomethingso

muchmore.It turnedintoa creativeoutlet

formyphotography,anexcusetoheadout

intothewoodstosnapsomephotosofa

newdesign,a waytocelebratethe cooler

months and a cosy lifestyle.”

Inspiredbytheforestryaround

herhome,it’snowonderKelly’s

designscomplementnature

with such harmony

CanadiandesignerKellyBrooksis carvingouta nicheforherselfintheworldof

crochet with her love of nature infusing both her designs and her tools...

Natural selec tion