We recently caught up with the lovely Francesca from Kingscote Designs; let’s see what she’s been up to lately!
Hi Francesca, thanks for chatting with me today! Tell us a little bit about yourself – your background, general day to day life, hobbies (other than crafting).
Ciao! Iâm Francesca, Iâm Italian and Iâve moved in UK few years ago after a long interlude in China. I live in a little Victorian house called Kingscote, so that’s how the name came to me for my designs. I live with my husband in our little empty nest; our three kids moved out in different parts of the UK. But although it’s empty of kids, itâs a rather full nest of cats⊠and yarn. I can see my husband almost underlining this by rolling his eyes! Ehm⊠back to the cats⊠we rescued them in China then we moved here with them: Izzy, Le Baron and TiramisĂč.
My studying background is in the arts: fashion and costume design, and set design. As for hobbies, I love nature, walking in the âgreenâ, and trekking on the Alps when Iâm on holiday in Italy. I try to do 5 minutes of yoga every day, and I love to have an espresso & chat with friends. I’ve illustrated two children’s books; the most recent one was for a charity project to sponsor pet therapy in a children hospital. I share my free time in between my current two big passions: crochet and the family tree.
The family tree sounds amazing! What made you want to start that journey and how have you found the process so far?
When I went on holiday with my best friend in Holland, she brought a lovely book with her of her past, filled with photos and stories of her family. When Covid happened, I thought of taking a look at my own history. Once I’d started delving into these familial roads, I found that I couldn’t stop! I’d say it’s a healthy obsession, but it’s so fascinating to me that we’re able to find out so much about ourselves and connections that we didn’t know we had.
When and why did you start crafting?
I couldn’t say when I started, but I’ve always been very crafty. As an extremely introverted child, drawing and crafting was my world. I learned to crochet and knit with my grandmas, each of them âspecialisedâ in one of the disciplines. I was fascinated by their techniques and so in awe to see what they were able to produce, I wanted to learn myself. I still remember them showing me how to hold the crochet hook and the knitting needles, and because my hands were still too little, telling me âdonât worry, just hold it how you canâ, and then I continued. Even now I still hold them in a funny “childish” way. In fact Iâm pretty slow, but knitting and crochet is called âslow fashionâ, right? Well, mine is a very slow fashion!
It’s all about the relaxation when it comes to a craft, so you’re all good! Do you have specific inspiration behind any of your projects?
Not a specific one, no. Ideas and inspirations for me are like the bubbles in a fizzy drink: they never stop to come at the surface. Some of them start small than become big, some other just pop away, some other join each other and grow together, until they âboomâ in a project.
Inspirations for me come from everywhere: something that you’ve seen long time ago, something that you’ve studied, something that you might have seen during a trip. I think if you’re a creative, your mind feels constantly open to let these things in. Even if it’s from reading a book, or being an a museum – even a landscape or a dream, they all join and lace together somehow down the line and blossom into a project.
What is your favourite piece you’ve done so far?
My favourite piece is always the next one; the one that it starts to take shape in my imagination. It challenges me to find the right solution on how to create that certain effect. It’s always lovely to hear how some of my projects have resonated with people, so I think there’s elements in all of them, really.
What does your creative process look like?
Honestly – itâs a mess! It’s never been a linear process; it just feels like a walk where I collect little specimens. Materials, photos, memories, opinions, dreams, unnecessary items, useless pieces⊠and then at the end of the path, out comes the finished piece.
If you don’t mind, I’d like to take advantage of this space to thanks all the lovely people around me: my friends, colleagues and family members. They’re always patiently listening to my boring rambling about my projects, and are even more patient when it comes to helping me with photos. Whether it’s technical advice or posing for them, I’m incredibly grateful – especially as they’re having to answer the same questions from me all the time! Quite often, they’ve saved me from making some questionable design choices. For example, said ‘village’ convinced me to not use the orange in the Threads of Love blanket – my heartfelt thanks to all of you for helping me with this!
It’s so lovely that you’ve got such a wealth of people around you who get involved with these projects! When creating new projects under Kingscote Designs, do you find yourself heading for the sketchbook to get down your ideas? Or is it something that comes out with playing around with different textures and yarns?
I would say both. For sure my sketchbook is my go-to place to get any ideas down. It’s very full and messy, but also playing around with yarns helps a lot to create new possibilities. I always like to think of who is going to be spending the time in making it, especially when thinking about their loved ones. I like to think that they’ll enjoy using the yarns and tones I’ve chosen, especially for my more tactile-themed projects, like the Little Friends collection.
Are there specific colours and yarns youâre always keen to sneak into a new project?
Red is definitely my colour, but I came to terms with the fact that I canât put it in every project a long time ago. Actually, what’s the most fascinating to me is the harmony that the colours create together. The yarn that I like to put in every project is Yarnsmiths Chenille, but again, there is so much out there to choose from. I really like to mix different yarns as you can create so many effects and add so much to the piece by using their different characteristics and textures. Endless!
Yarnsmiths Chenille is the foundation of the Threads Of Life collection – what was it about that particular yarn and the use of Yarnsmiths Freespirit that just felt so right for this range?
I love to mix and match with many things and the contrast of different textures and tones just work so beautifully together, they both just felt like the right yarns to use. It felt like the perfect blend for a happy experiment – they sort of feel like yin and yang to me; I feel like I couldn’t use one without the other. Plus, I think that because the range is based around comfort and cherished memories, using such soft yarns helps further evoke those feelings, I think.
We love that – Threads of Life just brings all the cosy vibes, too! Speaking of cosy, does your home reflect your crafting passion?
Oh yes, terribly! Unfortunately for my family⊠itâs a mess. My desk is the center of the mess. I can hardly use it, but I stubbornly keep pushing stuff against the wall and carve out a little space for myself. Furthermore, I hide yarn and various pieces under the sofa, under my bed, in random bags⊠sorry I can’t reveal more or my husband will find them!
Our lips are sealed! What designers are you loving at the moment?
I really like Dedri Uyi, she is so experienced and Iâve learned so much from her books. I also love the works of my good friend Adam Christofi of Crostofi_Chet; he’s created so many wonderful patterns and designs, and I find him so inspiring. Plus, if I’m having a bit of a wobble self-esteem wise, he’s so quick to encourage me and put me back on track. If you’re reading this, Adam, thank you and please create more! đ I love a lot of young Japanese designers, such a fresh creativity! My favourite Japanese designer is lunedi777. Ironically, lunedĂŹ means Monday in Italian! I also really like olala.knitworks.
Do you have any tips for readers developing a passion for crafting?
Just jump in it with two feet, fear not!
Describe your style in 3 words.
Ooh this is a difficult one, let me think! Figurative, mix-and-match-ative and experimental. Hopefully that makes sense!
We get you! Are there any upcoming projects youâre able to discuss with us right now?
I really like to work in collections. I always like to study a theme, working in different techniques and using a mix of yarns. I like to go in depth. So aside from a new âLittle Friendâ that Iâm working on to sit with Forget Bee Not and Ladybird Meadow, I also have a new big project for the âWith My Whole Heartâ collection that it will be quite a journey that’s coming very soon.
An exclusive, how exciting! What was the inspiration behind “Where I Left My Heart”, the first kit to be launched in the new collection?
I’ve been fortunate enough to live in a few different countries over the years and, when I left, I truly felt as if I’d left a little piece of myself behind in each place. I think as we evolve or move around, whatever the case may be, being able to look back at that specific time in my life in those places really warms my heart. Although I’ve left Italy, my parents are still there, so there’s always that piece of me with them.
Creating this blanket just felt like the perfect visual representation of where you’ve been. The beauty of it is that it can become whatever you want it to be. Say if you’re an avid tourist, you could continue to add hearts as ‘stamps’ of where you’ve been – think of it as a crafty passport! The possibilities are endless, so I’m excited to see what people do with each map.
We can’t wait for this one to launch – watch this space! What are three things you would love to learn/master/execute? Doesnât have to be crafting related!
- Yoga. I wish that after 123456 years of practicing to get out of the super beginner level, I know, I know⊠itâs just my fault because Iâm not consistent!
- I would love to learn a technique called tatting. My grandma used to do it; I have the feeling that it is gradually disappearing and like many other antique techniques, so I really think it should be preserved.
- To keep my mouth shut more often, difficult technique, veeeery difficult!
We’re wishing you well on all of those! Finally, could you give us a crafting tip?
Not happy with a project? Frog it now! Are you not completely satisfied? Is it not exactly how you had imagine it? Just frog it, now, donât wait! Itâs like in life – if the situation doesnât work, change it. Easy to say and difficult to execute, I know, but, well⊠practice this skill with your project first. Frog and see how youâll feel about it!
A great final tip – thanks for chatting with us, Francesca! đš
For more about Francesca, her wonderful designs and artwork, be sure to visit her Instagram page HERE.