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
Travelling to Wales at the weekend
I am so excited to be travelling to Wales at the weekend to visit "Quilts in Cae Hir Gardens" at Cae Hir Gardens, Cribyn, Nr. Lampeter, Ceredigion. SA48 7NG. 2nd, 3rd and 4th August 2013. There will be traders stalls (so shopping!) and quilts for sale and the gardens are set on a Welsh hillside and have Tea Rooms. Admission to Gardens £5.00 For more information Contact Cae Hir Gardens 01570 471116 I am being joined by Dave and Matt and the cameras, so you won't miss out!
Query about needles
Here is the question: Hi, 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. Kind regards, My answer was that I would try a denim needle (or on reflect a jeans needle) size 90/100 as these are robust.
Comments from Youtube
How to pull the machine thread up through your work with Valerie Nesbitt From across the pond , North Carolina, USA, I am thoroughly enjoying AND learning from these tutorials. LOVE the variety of subjects, especially the projects and the techniques incorporated into it. Also enjoy the interviews and off site shows. Recyle Shirts into a Cushion with Valerie Nesbitt Brlliant ideas!