Skeinspotting

Introducing Carol Ventura

I have known about Carol Ventura for some time and have always loved her Tapestry Crochet and folk inspired art. We've had email discussions as well about the interpretation of copyright law and the use of stitch patterns and motifs we should have inherited as part of our culture which are now set out in books as belonging to publishers rather than in the public domain.

Carol has put up a few short video clips to demonstrate her methods of Tapestry Crochet you can see them here.

You can also find many free patterns on her website www.tapestrycrochet.com
and you will find one of her favourite unconventional patterns in the Anticraft's book when it is released this year.

I love Carol's honesty and burning desire to share the technique with the whole community. Anyone who has a gift they can pass on for free deserves to be admired when you consider how little this industry does pay if you work in it full time. The other person who is like this is Ruth Paisley who goes out of her way to answer a question thoroughly and pass on what she knows. whenever I have a frustrating dilemma regarding knitting or crochet I can turn to her knowing that I won't get a vague answer or a deliberate evasion. I do get nervous though if I see Ruth's eye moving its gaze over my work, the teacher in her is probably bursting to tell me how I could improve it whilst her graciousness wouldn't dream of putting my work down.

You can find details of her two books on her website along with many other pattern sources.