In this blog post, we chat with Lindsey Newns of Lottie & Albert about her cute &Make SS23 design, the Nestie Basket Bunch!
Lindsey Newns, the crochet designer behind Lottie & Albert, shares with us her inspiration behind the Nestie Basket Bunch design, a trio of three perfectly sized baskets! What could be nicer than practical, yet stylish Nestie Baskets in your favourite colours?!
Join us as we find out more about the design, using our &Make Super Bulky yarn and Lindsey’s inspiration!
Tell us about the inspiration for the Nestie Basket Bunch. What makes your design special?
“The design for the baskets all stemmed from the yarn and the colours. I loved the two tones of green and off-white together, and knew I had to use them in a project!
I think it’s the interplay of colours and lines. The spike stitch is subtle but adds another element to the design and allows the colours to interact and the eye to travel around the baskets.“
Why is the yarn you used so perfect for it?
“Chunky yarn is my go-to when I crave a quicker project with an almost immediate sense of achievement. Sizing down with the typical hook size also allows the yarn to create a denser structure and thicker fabric, ideal for holding its shape in basket form.“
What type of projects do you like to knit/crochet?
“I love crochet colourwork and using textured stitches. I used to give myself a hard time for not having the patience to sit and crochet long projects with one repetitive stitch. But I’ve learnt now to lean into it – give me all the colours and textured stitches and it keeps it fun and interesting. After all, if you aren’t having fun when crocheting, why do it?!“
Describe your yarn stash.
“I’ve tried really hard to minimise my yarn stash over the last couple of years. Because I’m now a full-time crochet designer most of the crochet I do is for work, and so the yarns in my stash all need to be current yarns, not discontinued, and within budget for my subscription boxes. I’ve also found it’s much more helpful for me to purchase the specific yarns I need for a project, and not so helpful to have odd half balls that I’m keeping ‘just in case’.
Having said all that, I do also have two large shelves of yarn behind my desk in my studio, which are organised by rainbow colour order. They make me happy just to look at, and I find them super inspiring to have on display…!“
The Nestie Basket Bunch come as a trio of three perfect sizes: small, medium and large. A spike stitch across the rounds gives colour contrast and texture detail. Choose the colour combination that matches your home and enjoy making this easy project that gives you stunning results. With so many more of us working from home, at least for part of the week, our thoughts turn to how to make our environments reflect our own personal style and how to make them more cosy. What could be nicer than practical, yet stylish Nestie Baskets in your favourite colours.
Which projects are you most proud of?
“In 2021 I launched my own crochet subscription box. I source all the elements, design the projects, and am a one-woman independent team. I’m super proud of it as my biggest crochet project yet!“
If someone wanted to take up knitting/crocheting, what advice would you give them?
“The advice I give most often is to find a beginner/intermediate project and just start. You can Google stitches or techniques as you go, or look things up if you haven’t done them before. I find having a project that you really want to make is much more motivating than waiting until you ‘know’ a stitch or technique, which can also be a bit chicken and egg. You’ll pick things up without even realising it, and practice makes perfect, as they say!“
Inspiring Video Tutorials!
The Nestie Basket Bunch pattern features a selection of fantastic video tutorials from Lindsey herself that include techniques such as how to crochet a gauge swatch, spike stitch, create increases and more!
About &Make SS23
Developing designs for The Fibre Co.’s &Make yarn range this season was all about creative possibilities for your making journey! The results are fun playful designs in both knit and crochet for the wardrobe as well as the home.
Each pattern provides an opportunity to learn something new, while gaining a beautiful functional finished handmade project. The different textures, colour options and techniques come to life in designs that are simple to create yet high
in style.
Explore our &Make SS23 collection today.
Crocheting the Nestie Basket Bunch?
If you are crocheting the Nestie Basket Bunch, please do share it with us!
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