After being introduced-and re-introduced-to crochet by her mum, Jo Bunclark honed her skills and now runs her own crochet business, Marlow and Chestnut. Her children are her main inspiration and her designs reflect that-she's a master designer of cute and quirky amigurumi stuffed animals, all worked in a muted and stylish colour palette. Jo has juggled a lot in the last few years, with the pandemic affecting her main source of income, but she's remained determined to see this as a chance to live her dream of running a successful crochet business.
Jo's crochet journey has been a long one. She recalls struggling away at her childhood hooky projects under her mother's tutelage. "To say I was useless is an understatement," she laughs. "No matter how many ways she explained it, I honestly couldn't work it out!"
Fast-forward to 2016, and a pregnant Jo decided to give crochet another go. "I was already in a state of shock, as I'd been previously told I couldn't have children. I was desperate to make a baby blanket. My mum suggested trying crochet one more time, and I did. She deserved a medal for her patience! My passion grew and grew from there. This time it made a whole lot more sense. Perhaps it was having someone to crochet for."
And once daughter Evie - now five arrived, with son Teddy later joining the family, Jo took to crochet like never before. Already a keen artist, she developed the skills to sketch, design and then make her own toys. This grew into Marlow and Chestnut on Etsy, a place to buy patterns and toys handmade by Jo. "Marlow and Chestnut originated from two illustrations I did - one of a Red Panda and the other of a Monkey. We just put a load of names in a hat and picked two out. Quite random, really, but the names suit them really well," she explains.
PASSING IT DOWN
Denne historien er fra Issue 126-utgaven av Simply Crochet.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 126-utgaven av Simply Crochet.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
"I MADE GRANNY SQUARES! NOW WHAT?"
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new dimensions
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Woolmouse/Lovehandyed
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FAMILY AFFAIR
After deciding to turn her crochet hobby into a business, Jo Bunclark of Marlow and Chestnut began collaborating with an unlikely partner - her own five-year-old daughter!
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Crochet designer Eleonora Tully of Coastal Crochet journeyed to Italy for the Yarn Bombing Festival - and brought the magic back for Simply Crochet readers!
Petite pasture
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UK YARN SHOP LOVE
Wherever you are in the UK, your local yarn shop is a place to indulge in your craft. Step inside and discover the community on your doorstep
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Set your soul - and style - ablaze with this floaty filet-stitch wrap designed
Talavera BLANKET
Bring Spanish sunshine into your home with the bright colours and textured stitches of Ana Morais Soares' seven-part Talavera blanket crochet-along