If you've visited the shop in March you may have seen some new faces. In late February we added 6 part-time team members to the gather here staff. Everyone has a wealth of knowledge about at least one fiber craft (if not more) and Ciara blew us away with her crochet skills. We know you are going to want to follow her work on Instagram and we hope to exhibit her pieces at the shop, too. They are so inspiring! Check out some examples in our interview.
When did you start making things?
I have been making all sorts of things for as long as I can remember. I have always loved experimenting with new mediums and learning new skills. Painting was my favorite medium until the start of college when I began to really explore crocheting.
What's your favorite thing to make?
Painting portraits in both oil and watercolor was always my favorite thing to make. When I fell in love with crocheting, making portraits using crotchet seemed like a natural progression. I love applying the skills I’ve learned through painting faces to actually crocheting them. Recently I have been digitally painting my portraits to plan them out before crocheting them, which has been really fun!
What are you looking forward to the most about being a part of the gather here community?
As a customer, I have always felt really inspired, motivated and a feeling of such belonging whenever I stepped into the store. Now that I am a part of the team, I am excited to help create that space for others!
What's your favorite tool?
My favorite tool is definitely a crochet hook. I don’t really have any particular favorites, but I typically use a 5.00mm hook when crocheting portraits. I use a variety of yarn weights throughout each piece and have found that I can make that size hook work well with each yarn.
What do you do when you aren't making things?
When I am not making things, I am probably playing with my dogs, going on a road trip, attending concerts or exploring Cambridge and Boston!