The Folk Queen

Thursday 27th August 2020

Tags: Blogstars, Crochet

A couple of weeks ago we were beyond excited to announce our collaboration with crochet superstar Tinna Thorudottir Thorvaldar.  We are sponsoring her eagerly awaited Queen CAL which launches in September and features a special, limited edition colourway by our very own Blogstar, Lucia Dunn.

If you haven’t seen her work, Tinna is a fantastically talented and creative spirit and one of the first designers to highlight the possibilities of mosaic crochet.  When she approached us to use our yarn, we jumped at the chance to be involved with the project. Who wouldn’t?

The Queen CAL has been many months in the planning and the inspiration came from Tinna’s need to get back to the basics.  The distinctive diamond patterns are worked in mosaic crochet and there are three levels of difficulty to choose between, but Tinna always tells us that this technique is easy, so this could be a chance to push your skills and have some fun.  You can find the pattern here and it costs around £4. There are also details on this page about yarn shops that are stocking the packs.

Tinna has designed two of the four colourways using Special DK, the Oceania and Tequila Sunrise, which feature strong colours in the background with a single colour forming the pattern. The CAL begins on 18th September, so you have plenty of time to buy your yarn for this exciting project.

Blogstar, Lucia has created the colour palette for the Folk Queen, using Stylecraft Life DK and Batik and she has taken a slightly different approach, changing both pattern and background colours across the blanket.  Lucia called her version of the CAL the Folk Queen because the colourway is inspired by traditional folk costumes. The colours celebrate the rich textile traditions that are in her roots, Tinna’s Icelandic heritage and their friendship.

So how did Lucia come to be working with Tinna?

Lucia and Tinna met online in 2018 and immediately hit it off, so a creative collaboration was inevitable, in fact Lucia was the first person Tinna contacted when work began on the CAL.  “Tinna asked me if I would consider doing a version of the CAL and I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by! What fascinated me about this CAL is the versatility of the pattern that Tinna has created - it can be manipulated and customised which is something that is quite unique,” she says.

Lucia told us that Mosaic crochet is fabulous vessel for colourwork and produces fabulous results: “I love geometric shapes and being in Scotland I love knitting Fair Isle. In my opinion the mosaic technique is the crochet's equivalent.  The lines are sharp and straight, and you can create anything from a simple repeat to a very complex design. What fascinated me about this CAL is the versatility of the pattern that Tinna has created. it can be manipulated and customise which is something that is quite unique as not only colours but also the over-all geometry can be adapted.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNzlIgDAy-c

Lucia’s Folk Queen colour packs are available exclusively from her website.  The original packs sold out in minutes, but we have moved heaven and earth to get more yarn to her and there is a waiting list you can sign up to.

Tinna’s friend and testing team leader, Sue Collings, has designed the fourth colourway, the Ruby Queen colourway, which uses a rich and warm palette.

So grab your hooks and get ready for the amazing Queen CAL.

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