Crocheted Recycled Silver W...
Twisted Fern£42.00
“Fine Art Jewellery handcrafted with recycled fine silver and antique hand tools - a heritage craft; reimagined.”
£42.00
£45.00
£42.00 £38.00 (10% off)
£29.00
£29.00
£95.00
£26.00
£56.00
Growing up in the historic town of York, the past fascinated me from a young age. Through my studies and work as a Social Historian I was granted an insight into the pivotal roles art and fashion played in culture and social connection.
Unexpectedly, after studying the 19th Century Arts and Crafts, and Aesthetic Movements, I found my own calling to be creative. I started sketching and working with pen and ink, with no thought of pursuing a creative career.
In 2015, whilst living in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest, I learned to crochet. I quickly fell in love with the structural beauty and unique expression the art form afforded. My work marries the 19th century crochet lace tradition with the geometrical complexity of the natural world. Crocheting Precious Metals produces designs that are elegant yet strong; a modern imagining of a heritage craft.
By 2017 I had a business name and had started selling my pieces at farmers markets in my small community. A couple of years and a lot of hard work later, my work was accepted into the Sooke Fine Art Show two years running, my pieces were displayed in multiple galleries in both Vancouver Island and the UK, and were being sold in gift shops. I was making a full time living as a wire artist. My absoulte dream.
Life likes to through curveballs though, doesn't it. In 2020, as it did for everyone, a lot of what I had built was gone and I did what I could, mainly online but was limping the business along. The the next year the curveballs continued; I became ill with a neurological conditon which took the use of the left side of my body. My crochet days were well and truly paused.
As I slowly rebuilt my life around this condition I found new ways of doing things and slowly gained more and more use of my body. I refer to it as my Kill Bill moment (staring at my big toe and begging it to move). I of course could not will my body to work, as much as I tried. And I did try.
12 months of physio and holding crochet hooks hoping for inspiration, I began to slowly crochet with chunky yarn...another 12 months and I worked my way down to crocheting with cotton. When I got to this point I knew I wasn't going to be stopped there so I flung myself back into Twisted Fern, spent waaaayyyy too much money on silver wire that I wasn't sure if I could use, and the rest as they say is history!
These designs are a testament to how much can be achieved if you love something enough. I've been told I'm stubborn. Don't get me wrong I'm not going to sit here and pretend I'm not, but its something much more than that. Neurological disorders aren't cured by love of heritage crafts alone, unfortunately. I still struggle. My body still fights me at every turn. Every day normal activities still allude me most of the time, but I can crochet and that is good enough for me!
Having people buy my jewellery and support my journey means so much. Being able to share this craft with the world is such a joy.
Making jewelry that is individual, ethical, and sustainable is my dream. I feel fortunate to be able to live it and share this passion every day.
Find Twisted Fern on social media