Rowan Yarns Digital Magazine Rowan Spring Summer Newsletter 2019 | Page 42

Each monthly class introduces new stitches and techniques enabling everyone to gradually build their technical skills, and their colour confidence. Everyone is encouraged to work at their own pace and simply generate as many crochet squares as they can each month. There is no pressure to complete the blanket by the end of the course, but many people find the support and encouragement of everyone in the group, and the regular ‘deadlines’ help to keep them on track. Every square is different and each one is made thoughtfully with attention to colour and colour juxtaposition ensuring every square has its own unique character. Sue provides the ‘framework’ for the overall design and there are guidelines on how to use and position your colours, but many of the colour decisions are up to each individual maker allowing everyone to take ownership over their own blanket and feel actively engaged in its creation. This is a project particularly suited to anyone with a busy life and the creative urge to make something beautiful and functional in a friendly and inspiring group. However busy our lives are there are always some, barely visible, pockets of time that can be put to creative use. The key is to locate those moments between the big things in your life. Small, beautiful colour interactions can be crocheted on the bus, in the kitchen, in your lunch hour, or virtually anywhere you might typically find yourself wasting several minutes of your day. The course begins with careful consideration of colour and everyone chooses their own colour story with lots of help and guidance from Sue. The aim is to select a range of 10 colours that are both harmonious and dynamic enabling different colour relationships and visual effects to be achieved. The prospect of choosing 10 colours to work with may seem daunting at first but there is a clear formula to work with and Sue will provide you with everything you need to make your colour decisions. 42 Newsletter April 2019 | Spring Summer After everyone’s colours have been selected the crocheting begins with the simplest granny squares, in a range of sizes. At the end of this first workshop everyone goes home with the skills, knowledge and materials to generate the first batch of squares for the blanket. These will be made over the course of a month, until the next workshop takes place, usually in four weeks time. Homage to the (Granny) Square is not just about beautiful yarn, colour and crochet. The course also brings together groups of amazing people who slowly get to know each other through shared stories and conversations around their lives and experiences. It is a fabulous way to meet interesting and like minded people and taps into the historical precedents of quilting bees and community making. Norfolk Yarn in Norwich The next course begins on Saturday 28 th September and runs for 3 hours a month over 6 months. Visit www.norfolkyarn.co.uk or phone 01603 927034 Craftyangel in Buntingford The next course begins on Saturday 11 th May and runs for 4.5hrs per week. Visit www.craftyangel.co.uk Sew Much to Do in Bury St Edmunds and Ely for information on future courses. Phone 01284 755459 (Bury) | 01353 664000 (Ely) The most significant part of this course is the shared experience of doing it in a group, rather than in isolation as an online, or correspondence course. Perhaps some of the most beautiful interactions happen not only in the colour juxtapositions, but also between those participating in the course. Homage to the (Granny) Square currently runs at the following Rowan Yarn stockists: Newsletter April 2019 | Spring Summer 43