About Gaynor
Gaynor is a crochet-obsessed teacher and pattern designer from Wokingham in Berkshire.
She learned to knit and crochet as a child, trained and worked as a French teacher for over 10 years, and then picked up her hook again 10 years ago. Gaynor jokes that she is “lucky enough to call myself a full-time hooker…”
In 2012, Gaynor set up The Barkham Hookers crochet group with a few friends in her living room. They now run 4 group sessions a week as well as many regular private lessons with over 600 members on Facebook alone. You can find them on Facbook via The Barkham Hookers’ Charity Group, where many of their charity projects can be seen.
She is very proud of the fact that The Barkham Hookers raised over £60,000 for various national and international charities, £52,000 of that for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. Click here to watch Gaynor share a quick and easy method for crocheting a poppy.
Gaynor loves designing and making blankets, many of which can be found as free CALs (crochet-a-longs) on her blog: Confessions of a Barkham Hooker. During the pandemic, she designed the Coronavirus CAL, posting a new section daily then weekly with colourful pictures and detailed notes.
Signature Technique
Crochet Blankets incorporating a variety of patterns and colours
Top Tips
- Crochet is very forgiving. Don’t be afraid to adjust or change the pattern to suit your needs or likes. And remember, if in doubt pull it out!
- Use a larger hook to work a long foundation chain to avoid it curling up.
- If you work quite loosely choose a slightly smaller hook than advised and a larger hook if you work tightly.
- When working in rows do not forget to work into the last stitch – – which is probably the chain 2/3 made at the start of the previous row.
- Use military buttons as the centre in poppies to add something special.
- If you are working with several balls of yarn, chuck them on the floor and let gravity help you keep them untangled.
Videos
Patterns
Posts
What needle should I use?
I have a Brother RH127 sewing machine, can you please tell me what size needle I require to stitch denim. I shall be making a denim patchwork cushion cover so will need to stitch through more than one layer. Answer from Val: I would purchase 'denim' needles 90-100- they do what they say on the packet! and if you want to find out more about needles and threads, check out the excellent information from Dawn Cameron Dick in her video Learn About Needles & Threads
How do I cut the strips for Log cabin?
I like you just love the look of the log cabin and am about tho venture down this road. Can you tell me - is the strips cut on the bias or just straight across? Answer from Val: always assume that strips are cut ACROSS your fabric unless you are told otherwise - when you cut down the grain is very unforgiving and when you cut on the bias your quilt will wave!!!
Is a steam iron necessary for pressing?
Assuming you are using cotton fabrics it is better to just use a warm - hot iron for pressing the seams and the blocks; if you use seam it is very easy to stretch the fabrics. Dawn Cameron-Dick shares a tip with us in her little video on the subject: click here Simple pressing is all that is necessary and you can make a very cheap pressing board by using the central cardboard bolt inner that is discarded by your local quilt shop!