About Claire
My felted bags started life one cold winter when I was
searching on the web for a knitted sock pattern and
came across Norwegian felted booties. I knew straight
away they would be just the answer for my poor cold toes.
No more cold feet
First I had to learn how to knit socks, which was a
challenge as I'd never used double ended needles before
or stitch markers, or any of the special knitting
techniques used in sock making!
Once I'd made the socks I needed to learn how to felt,
much reading and web searching later I felt ready to
commit my work to the washing machine, Out came magically
transformed albeit soggy slippers, I was hooked from then on.
Soon my husband and daughter had a pair each, and I
had fallen in love with felting.
Circular knitting was intriguing me and I wanted to
explore new ideas. I started looking for bag patterns.
There are some terrific patterns around but everything
I found had seams.
No-one saw what I did- the curvy sculptural quality of knitted felt.
So I started experimenting, creating and of course
felting, different yarns, tweaking patterns, there was a
lot to learn.
Since then I have developed my own fusion of techniques
and methods which produces lush thick felt in yummy colour
blends. And I’m still finding inspiration for new bag designs
all the time.
I now live and work in Leicester with my family, my Siamese
cat Milo and my little dog Jimbo. Knitting, felting and finishing
bags in my quiet studio during the week is complimented by busy
weekends spent meeting folk and exhibiting my bags at craft events
around the midlands.
I like the solitude and creativity of my craft, but I also
enjoy attending craft events, displaying my bags, meeting
up with other crafters and demonstrating my knitting to visitors.
I have been exhibiting at craft events since 2007 and in 2010
won a bursary award from Creative Leicestershire.
The first shoulder bag I sold