Eve Llewellyn shares her heartfelt story of resilience and passion for crochet. Despite facing challenges due to a spinal stroke at a young age, she discovered the therapeutic power of crochet, igniting a lifelong passion for creating beautiful textiles.
Having completed our intermediate crochet course (Skill Stage 3), Eve told us that the course opened doors to new possibilities, sparking ideas for future endeavours such as writing patterns and even publishing a pattern book. She is also being featured in our Student Excellence Awards 24 exhibition in recognition for her outstanding achievements.
Discover crucial advice for aspiring students. From self-motivation and enjoyment to gaining self-confidence in your abilities. This is her #MyStitichJourney.
“This course has encouraged me to consider new possibilities for ways to monetise my skills. Up until now, I didn’t have faith in my ability to write patterns and would never have contemplated writing a pattern book in the future. I have learnt new techniques and improved the way I present my work.”
Eve Llewellyn
For as long as I remember I have always had an interest in a wide range of creative subjects and this became even more important to me after I suffered a spinal stroke at the age of 12. At the time, I had already taught myself how to knit and sew but I wanted a new craft that would continue to help my physical and mental recovery. That is when I discovered and taught myself crochet. Although I still have some impaired function in my hands, I found that I was able to adapt the way I crochet and I have had a passion for it ever since.
Why an accredited course?
Although I had some self-taught crochet experience, I wanted to expand my knowledge and learn ways to improve my work. The business element of the course was also a key motivation for me since this is a possible avenue for me in the future.
Since my spinal injury, I have predominantly had to complete all of my education online so this course was a good fit for me. After finishing an Art Foundation course, I wanted to study something that aligned with my interests but was also flexible around my health needs. The School of Stitched Textiles provided the opportunity for a unique qualification, in a specific subject of interest to me, that I could study on a part time basis. When considering enrolling, all the staff at the School of Stitched Textiles were extremely helpful and understanding of my situation which gave me confidence that this course would suit me.
What have you learnt?
This course has encouraged me to consider new possibilities for ways to monetise my skills. Up until now, I didn’t have faith in my ability to write patterns and would never have contemplated writing a pattern book in the future. I have learnt new techniques and improved the way I present my work.
What’s next?
For me, it is important to keep my options open since I don’t know how my heath will be in the future. Even though I am not yet sure where this course will lead me, I feel that I have a lot to offer and would like the opportunity to pass on my skills and knowledge to others in the future; whether this is in a teaching capacity, as freelance textile designer or writing patterns and books.
Advice to new students
I would recommend this course to students of all ages and abilities. It is flexible, making it accessible for people with health conditions or other commitments. All the modules are set out very clearly and are easy to follow. The staff are lovely and the feedback is very encouraging.
With all online courses, I have found it is important to be self-motivated. However, I believe if you are studying a subject that you are interested in, this comes naturally. So the most important thing is to enjoy the process, be open to new skills and have confidence in your ability to learn or develop your passions.
