In this four week course you will learn the foundations of crochet so you can tackle any project with confidence. We will cover all the foundational skills you need – yarn choices and hook suitability; foundation chain, double, treble, and cluster stitches; working in rows and in the round; changing colours; and an introduction to reading patterns and charts.

Week One – Getting started – foundation chains, double and treble stitch, stripes and colour changes, securing your work.

Week Two – Granny Squares and motifs – working in the round, introduction to reading to charts and instructions.

Week Three – Shell stitch – working in clusters, planning colours, reading charts and written patterns, 2-row patterns.

Week Four – Practice and recaps – no new stitch today! We will have some time to practice all the techniques covered, ask questions, and troubleshoot anything we had problems with. You can also bring your first project ideas to this session for some advice on getting going.

This course is suitable for beginners and those who want to revisit the basics.

All materials are provided – Everyone will be given a kit including a selection of colourful yarns and hooks and visual and written resources.

Cathy Van Hear is a textile artist and crochet specialist based in Brighton. She has 7 years of experience teaching workshops, courses, and classes at venues such as Make Town, Morley College, and the Southbank Centre as well as in collaboration with Brainchild Festival and Bestival.

In her classes, she balances technical skill development and the joy of creating to build both technical and creative confidence in her students. Her studio practice focuses on crochet, but also includes stitch, natural dyeing, quilting, and surface manipulation. Using these traditional craft techniques, she delves into the tapestry of human experience, unravelling threads of identity, belonging, and self-discovery.