WATG meets: Katie Jones!

We partnered up with crochet queen and colour-lover Katie Jones for our brand new summer collection. We went along to her south London studio for a cup of tea, to check out her wares and generally find out what makes her tick.

How did you get started learning to crochet and how old were you?
I very first learned as a kid ,probably at 7 or 8. My nan taught me to fan stitch when she was making a shawl, however this did mean I could only fan stitch till I was 22! I then was interning at Diane Von Furstenburg and they needed summer crochet samples, so I learned from YouTube and since that have never done much else.

Were you interested in being a designer and a keen follower of fashion from a young age? If not, how did you set about getting into that world?
No not really, I always loved customising my wardrobe, clothes and bright colours, but fashion was never a young career ambition – I actually wanted to be a wood work / Design Technology teacher! It wasn’t till I went to sixth form college that I found my love for fashion and textiles and realised I could try and make a career out of it.

Different cultures and their traditional dress seem to be a huge inspiration to you, is there any culture or style in particular that you feel has influenced you the most?
I love the fact that the craft of fashion is so respected in these cultures and hasn’t been tainted by consumerism. For me its got to be a total clash of Eastern European folk costumes and African Masquerade!

Who is your biggest career inspiration and why?
Jenny Kee, a bloody fabulous knitwear designer with the best eye for colour. She was big in the 80s and still going strong which is just amazing!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

My mum always told me to do what I love doing – I think it’s so important to follow your dreams!

We are such firm believers in the power of making things with your hands as being great for both brain and soul. So, please tell us all about your Save Our Skills scheme, we love the sound of it!

Save Our Skills is an initiative we have started aimed at teaching young people how to sew and crochet. Learning the skill to mend, embellish and create enables us to understand the true value of our clothes. We are in the early stages getting peopled involved working with teachers and youth group leaders – head to http://www.katiejonesknit.co.uk/sos/ if you want to find out more!

We are so excited about your bright and beautiful collection for us – do you have a favourite piece?
I really love the Mrs. Jones Cardigan, its a little sneaky taster in the feel of the new pieces we are working on!

And finally, what’s your favourite crochet stitch??
Granny Square stitch every time!

(Check out the Granny Square Blanket tutorial vid Katie did for us right down below)