Crochet with King and Eye Co
King and Eye Co’s Chunky Knit Blanket in Blush
Chunky yarn has taken the creative world by storm and is an amazingly soft, warm and in the case of merino wool can also be cool :) Claire of King and Eye Co discusses how she got started with this awesome yarn, creating crochet and knitting patterns as well as selling her own yarns as well.
You can find Claire's crochet and knitting patterns as well as her yarn and crochet hooks in her Etsy Shop and on her website. Claire also did a Chunky Crochet Shell Stitch Tutorial you can find here and will be starting out our Knitting Stitch Tutorials soon!
Crocheting wearable artwork with King and Eye Co.
By Michele of VAMICreations and Claire of King and Eye Co.
How did you start King and Eye?
I learned to crochet when a friend was teaching classes in 2014 and that was that - I was instantly addicted!
What gave you the idea/inspiration?
I set up my business to help me deal with the grief of losing my beloved dad very suddenly in 2016, we had a special connection and the sudden hole left me adrift. KingAndEye is my way of helping me to focus, I'm able to do something I love while still feeling connected with my dad who always encouraged me to be creative.
King and Eye Boho Crochet Purse
Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm Claire, I live on the beautiful coast of North West England where I can see the mountains of Wales when I look left and the mountains of Cumbria when I look right.
I live in a very pretty historic town called Southport, located north of Liverpool near to the historic Lancashire woollen mills, where I source a lot of my yarns.
What is King and Eye all about?
In today's disposable culture it can be difficult to find the high quality handcrafted products that you're searching for to create a unique and luxurious look for your home and your wardrobe.
King and Eye Chunky Knit Blanket
We all love that calming, relaxing and sensuous feeling of cocooning ourselves in the softest woollen fabrics or refreshing our homes with simple classic design that can only be appreciated when the highest quality materials and skills are partnered together.
I love to help people learn new crafting skills while creating their own unique fashion and home style.
How did you get started with chunky yarns and the fiber arts?
I am always cold, everyone knows me for my blue feet! So when I originally started KingAndEye I found that I was drawn to warmer, chunkier projects. I just loved the texture and the softness that they create, so I kept trying bigger and chunkier projects until I got to the point where I am now…..always got an eye open for a bigger yarn!.
As KingAndEye has evolved I get more and more messages from new knitters and crocheters and I have found that it easier for them to learn with chunkier yarns and larger needles as they can see the way that the yarn travels during each stitch. Plus, as these projects tend to work up more quickly it can give a real sense of satisfaction to someone who may work more slowly.
King and Eye Chunky Knit Sweater Pattern
Which do you like better (if you do) crochet or knitting?
Ooh, that’s a great question! I learned to knit when I about 7 or 8, I think my mum wanted me to stop following her around the house asking questions. I really liked it but I forgot about it as I got older. It was only when my friend set up a business to teach crochet in 2014 that I agreed to go along to support her and I remembered how much I had always enjoyed knitting too.
Both crafts require different skills so it’s great to be able to switch between projects depending on the mood I’m in….at least I never get bored!
How do you choose the yarns you create with and where do you get them from? Ie. Do you dye your own yarns? What has inspired you to create and work with different yarns and patterns?
I am trying to branch out into different yarns as my customer base grows. Many of my customers are quite new to the fibre arts and haven’t tried many different weight yarns, so I’m hoping to add a wider range of patterns and kits to provide a variety of projects that will suit everyone.
The merino that I supply is all certified non mulesed (the sheep are treated humanely) and is supplied in two weights, super bulky size 6 100% merino, which is perfect for chunky hats, scarves and the coziest sweaters ( certified by the coldest person you will meet!)
The second weight is for the really big blanket and home décor arm knitting projects. This arrives in 10kg bales, although you can try it from 0.5kg and at 23microns is definitely the softest yarn you will ever work with.
How do you choose the patterns you create – ie is there something that you take inspiration from when you start a pattern?
I get inspiration from all over the place! I’ve always loved fashion (including dressing up in my parents clothes when I was a toddler!) but In today's fast fashion culture it can be difficult to find the high quality handcrafted products that you're searching for to create a unique and luxurious look for your home and your wardrobe.
Sometimes I see something as I’m out walking, just this week I was watching the cherry blossom blow down the street like confetti outside my window and was thinking how delicate it looked, I remembered I had some t shirt yarn in exactly the same shade and came up with the fringed friend clutch bag (pattern on the blog). The way that the fringe sways backward and forward reminds me of the blossom petals drifting in the breeze.
Other places I look for inspiration are when I’m shopping with my teenage daughter (a regular occurrence!) magazines, social media and I spend far too much time on pinterest!
What is your favorite pattern and yarn to work with?
As you would expect I just love the softness and comfort of merino. I am very much into the Danish idea of “Hygge” (the idea of cosiness and comfortable company that encourages a feeling of contentment or well-being) so a yarn and a project has to envelope me and let me lose myself in it or it’s not going to make it onto the website.
My favourite pattern so far (the one I wear the most) is the Mosscrop Cardigan, although the best beginners knit sweater is very popular with my customers.
What would you tell a new pattern designer or fiber artist for encouragement?
Just go for it! Very few of us have formal training and your skills will evolve over time.
Back of Chunky Knit Sweater
Every time I develop a new pattern I change the way I do things or I add more detail.
There is no right or wrong way to go about it, every designer creates in their own way and teaches in their own unique style.
What is something you are passionate about and why?
As I said above, I love the Danish idea of hygge. I went through a period of anti natal depression and anxiety many years ago and I learned that self care is so important.
A great friend taught me at the time that we are all like trees and we cannot care for our family and friends if our roots are not strong enough to support those branches when the storms arrive. That thought comes back to me often when I’m feeling overwhelmed and I remember that I need to nurture my soul with some calming crafting ( or plant parenting, I have far too many plants!) before I try to just carry on as normal – concentrating on knitting and crochet give me that comfort and internal strength.
If you had one (or several) things to share with a woman entrepreneur, what would it be? What would you encourage them about?
I started KingAndEye to help me deal with the grief of losing my father, we were very similar and extremely close even though he didn’t talk much.
I could never have imagined where it would lead me and, honestly, I didn’t think it would continue for long as I really saw it as an emotional crutch at first.
As KingAndEye has grown I’ve met so many curious and thoughtful people, my customers are always emailing me to ask questions and they are so kind in their reviews that I really feel I have found a community of generous like minded souls.
I may not run a six figure business but success isn’t always about money.
What is a lesson learned for being a woman entrepreneur that you wish someone had told you when you first started?
Don’t feel as though you need to do everything at the beginning, it can be very disconcerting to see other businesses growing successfully. Just remember you’re probably only seeing the gloss and not the chaos and failures that are going on behind the scenes.
Chunky Knitted Blanket
If you had one (or several) things to share with an entrepreneur who is a mom, what would it be? What would you encourage them about?
Put your family first, my children are 16 and 13 now, it was them who encouraged me to set up KingAndEye (mainly because they were tired of seeing baby hats lying around the house!) But is also the fact that the children are proud of what I have achieved and see me as someone to look up to that I was compelled to continue when I felt like switching everything off.
If your children are small, I know it’s a cliché but they do grow up so quickly that I would always encourage a parent to spend as much time as they can with them. I worked in a stressful male dominated industry while mine were very small and I really regret that I thought working 12 hour days to earn a good wage was more important than watching them learn new skills every day. You can always get another job if your business idea doesn’t take off but you only get one chance at parenting.
What is your dream for King and Eye to be (where do you see King and Eye Co in 5+ years)?
I think I have found my niche of helping others learn the mental health benefits of crafting and I would certainly like to grow that aspect of the business. Mental health is more important than ever at the moment and self care plays an integral part in that, especially when people have lost out on their social lives during the current situation.
If you like this, you may like:
Thank you for joining us on this amazing interview with King and Eye! Claire will be starting out our knitting tutorial series soon and we’re excited to collaborate with her on these and others, so stay tuned and keep an eye ;) out for more of her!! You can find her Chunky Crochet Shell Stitch Tutorial here and find some of her pattern/yarn potential combinations below.
Stunning chunky merino wool colors in the middle would be perfect for these purses that can be made in any colors but I could see one in a solid color like ruby red or even dark egg with a light ash grey as a border or accent color!
Beautiful super chunky knitted blankets are available in any to the gorgeous colors to the left . Silver grey and baby blue would be beautiful together or a raspberry blanket would be perfect to curl under for a good movie or reading a good book!
Gorgeous chunky merino wool colors to the right would be perfect for this knitted sweater that can be made in any colors but I could see one in Lilac or dark Egg!
If you're interested in Crochet and Knitted Kits complete with a pattern and yarn, you can also find those in Claire's Etsy Shop . :)
These Round Bed Pillows are beautiful in any of the following Chunky Yarn Merino Wool but could be a wonderful accent pillow as well using granite grey or silver grey to offset a baby blue, raspberry or teal chunky knit or blanket .
You can find Claire's crochet and knitting patterns as well as her yarn and crochet hooks in her Etsy Shop and on her website. Claire also did a Chunky Crochet Shell Stitch Tutorial on VAMICreations and you will see more of her soon. :)
Thank you for joining us on this amazing interview with King and Eye! Stay tuned and keep an eye ;) out for more of her!! If there are additional patterns and color combinations you recommend or if there is another maker you think I should interview for a maker feature, please comment below or email me. Wishing you health and wellness. :)
Hello everyone!!! Have you ever seen some of the gorgeous crochet pieces floating around Instagram and wondered how they are made or even if you could make them yourself? You can!!! That is what this how to crochet series is all about! You will have the chance to meet a number of different designers and find amazing patterns and creations done by them and and others :) . I am so excited that you are here and wanting to start crocheting! It is such a wonderful thing to work with your hands and make something that you or a loved one can wear. You can even make things to sell!