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• crochet reportBelow: Inside the lair,Jenny’s shop inMarcoola, QLD.A selection of Jenny’s designs being preparedfor the upcoming crochet revolution.The worldgoes crazyfor crochetMistress of the hook, Jenny King,explains how crochet is capturingworld fashion markets.My daughter says I’ve been predictingthe new crochet fashion revolutionfor years. She was only a teen whencrocheted flares filled the magazinesand a crocheted wedding dress wasa much longed-for item. Finally myprediction seems to be coming true!Hold onto your hooks, search theop shops for 1970s crochet patternsand get crocheting.My friend Amanda Cox is anassistant merchandiser for a largeclothing company in the UK. When Isay large I mean the company usuallyorders 10-12 thousand pieces tostock over 600 stores in the UK andEurope for each of its six or sevenclothing labels.One of these labels is Top Shop, aname familiar to anyone who knows theUK market. Amanda says that crochetis “the new knitting” and crochet, asseen in the 70s, will be back - theflorals, the lace, the dresses, tops andwaistcoats will all be crochet.Crochet sleeves in garments,crocheted flowers and embellishmentsare also looking good. “Flirty andfeminine, with a slightly peasant style”was how Amanda described things.Unlike knitting there are no crochetmachines to do the work. Every piece“This is the perfectopportunity to putcrochet hooks intothe hands of a newgeneration”has to be made by hand. The companyAmanda represents may not be able toget enough crocheters in China to fill theorders. Could there be a crochet crisis?Experienced local crocheters shouldbe on high alert to field requests fromloved ones who are desperate to wear acrocheted garment. This is the perfectopportunity to put crochet hooks intothe hands of a new generation.In fact the crochet revolution ismaking me realise we need morequalified crochet teachers in Australiaand New Zealand. I’m going to flyArnetta Kenney, Associate Professor atthe Fashion Institute of Technology inNew York, to Australia in the middle ofthis year to right this situation. Arnettawill be offering a certified instructor’scourse for both crochet and knittingfrom the Craft Yarn Council (CYC).This course is the only internationalcertification available for peoplewho would like to teach knitting andcrochet or who would like the CYCqualifications. It will be held in winter,on the Sunshine coast, beside thebeach. Sounds terrible doesn’t it?148 spotlight.com.au