Kally Davidson

Freeform crochet artist

Kally has been the creative force behind several Festival projects and exhibits and she enjoys involving members of the community in her work. She believes that freeform crochet can take you in all sorts of weird and wonderful directions and is great for the mind and soul.

What is it about your making skill that makes you enjoy it so much?

I love being in a moment of freeform flow, where skill, materials, intuition and ideas make magic together in an organic way.

What does it mean to you personally and the way you live your life?

I believe creative expression to be a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle.

What has been your greatest making achievement?

Realising I could create my own tools and artists’ medium! I love the process of whittling hooks from sticks found whilst walking in the woods. I also dye foraged plants and use them to transform hand spun fleece into sculptural textile art – it’s so fulfilling.

What is your favourite piece of equipment and why?

Other than my collection of hooks, I’d have to say my Ashford traditional spinning wheel. I can spin my yarn in any thickness, texture or colour to play and crochet with.

What is your favourite making website or blog and why?

The visual artist Sally Blake on Instagram because I love the vast range of colour she achieves in the plant dyed yarns she stitches and weaves with. She explores the relationship between human and natural worlds using natural processes. Plus, her copper wire sculptures are so beautiful, especially ‘Inside the Lungs’. It’s all very inspiring.

Why do you like being part of the Festival?

I enjoy the eclectic mix of our creative community who come together to share skills and ideas with each other and the public.

What is your advice to a complete beginner who wants to have a go at your craft?

If freeform crochet intrigues you and is something that makes you smile, keep the passion and enthusiasm to learn it alive. You can join a workshop, find a local group, or invite friends over to crochet with cake and coffee. Once you have mastered the basic stitches, and how to increase and decrease you’ll soon be travelling with your hook and yarn to the land of freeform flow.