We got to sit with Shelley from Brambles and Hart in December. Shelley has designed for Yarnsmiths, and has new designs coming out 29th January 2026. Read on to find out more about her design process…!

Hey Shelley, thanks so much for chatting with us, can you tell us a little bit about yourself for the readers?

Hi I’m Shelley from Brambles and Hart, I’m a 30-something mum to three boys and crochet designing is currently my job – what a dream! I used to be a primary school teacher but back in 2020 my husband, who is in the RAF, was posted to Scotland so we moved from Norfolk to Scotland, and I gave up my teaching job. The plan was always to start teaching here in Scotland, but the pandemic, a surprise third baby and the unexpected success of Brambles and Hart changed those plans! I’m not mad about it!

My general day-to-day life focuses on my boys and looking after our home with 3 days a week being dedicated ‘work days’ when my older two are in school and my youngest with the loveliest of childminders. My husband can be away for weeks or months at a time during which I’m solo parenting so having a good work/life balance is important to try and prevent burnout.

I love to read, whilst nothing beats getting cosy with a good paperback I do often listen to audiobooks whilst I’m crocheting either for work or for fun. My favourite audiobooks from last year would definitely be the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, highly recommend! I’m also attempting to learn to knit and as a family we spend a lot of time out in nature exploring the beauty that Scotland has to offer!

When and why did you start crafting?

I would never have described myself as crafty or artsy before but like many people I got the urge to learn to crochet when I was pregnant. I was heavily pregnant with my first son during the summer holidays and my husband was working full time so it was a great way for me to stay busy without requiring too much physical effort!

I completely fell in love with crochet and was rarely seen without a crochet hook in my hand that whole summer. I made my son a blanket and attempted a zebra amigurumi which was questionable for sure but I loved it and my son who is now 8 still has it!

Do you have specific inspiration behind any of your projects?

I would say that I get a lot of my inspiration from nature whether that be for colours, shapes or a vision I have for where I would use my finished crochet project. I always aim to create pieces that are both pretty and practical. You will find a lot of nature based colours used in my designs with greens being my absolute favourite!

What does your creative process look like?

It varies from piece to piece. Sometimes I have and idea in mind of a finished piece such as a jumper, I’ll then sketch this out (badly, I’m no artist!) and work from there. Other times I’ll begin with the yarn or a stitch pattern, I’ll create swatches and then envision what that swatch will develop into. I’m yet to decide which way is the easiest and there are definitely many sketches and swatches that never really progress past that point. It’s all part of the process though.

With the continual rise in popularity for CALs, would you ever like to create your own?

I would absolutely love to create a CAL one day, I think it would be so much fun. I love the traditional concept of a blanket pattern for CALs but I also think the idea of a cardigan/sweater for a CAL could be incredible. One of the best things about about CALs is seeing how everyone interprets the patterns to create something that’s unique to them and garments lend themselves really well to that.

We love seeing the progress of your book blanket, how is that coming along, and how did you choose the colours for this project?

Thank you! I’ll be honest, I did fall a little behind with it over the summer months but I’m pleased to say that I caught back up. It’s been such a fun project to do over the course of the year and it felt like a real sense of achievement every time I added on another granny square representing another book read!

When it came to selecting the colours for my book blanket I wanted to choose colours that would all work well together and that I would be happy working with all year long. Bright rainbow shades wouldn’t have worked for me as they’re just not my vibe. Instead I curated a palette of greens, pinks and blues with gold for those 5 star reads! It’s turned out to be a visually striking blanket and I love it.

Are there specific colours you’re always keen to sneak into a new project?

If I can use a shade of green then I probably will! The same for a gentle neutral shade like parchment. I just think they lend themselves so well to nearly every project and they’re colours that I personally love. A lot of the samples I make for my designs I make for myself, my boys or my home so I want to use colours that reflect my personal tastes.

Does your home reflect your crafting passion?

There is definitely a lot of yarn in our house! I do try to keep it fairly contained in the cupboard under the stairs but there is always a WIP basket or two in the living room and half of our downstairs bookcase has yarn stored on it!

We have a lovely collection of crochet blankets both in the living room and the bedrooms and I always have a seasonal garland along our mantlepiece. Little touches of crochet here and there are a way for me to inject a bit of feminine energy into our house as I’m outnumbered by my husband and the boys!

What designers are you loving at the moment?

I am a big fan of Toni @Tlyarncrafts, she uses a lot of colours similar to what I would choose and her patterns are beginner friendly, often with a YouTube tutorial. She also has a lot of Tunisian crochet patterns which I would absolutely love to try one day! Claudine @iron_lamb is another designer that I love, the way she constructs her patterns is so unique. She takes the humble granny stitch and makes it something really modern and fresh. Helen @Emkatcrochet has an incredible eye for colour and her blanket designs are always stunning.

I’ve also fallen in love with a lot of knitwear designers recently such as @the.creabea, @chloe_elizabeth_makes, @knitatude and @petiteknit. I have many of their designs saved in the hope that one day I’ll be confident enough with knitting to be able to give them a go.

Do you have any tips for readers developing a passion for crafting?

My main advice would be to find the style that best suits you, there is no right or wrong when it comes to crafting, it’s your chance to express yourself. Maybe that means you only crochet granny square blankets or only use shades of pink. Whatever it may be, if it brings you joy then it’s right for you.

I spent a long-time making projects using bright, rainbow colours because it was what everyone seemed to be making and it meant I was making things that I’d never wear or use. What a waste! It’s definitely better to embrace your own style, no matter what anyone else thinks!

Describe your style in 3 words.

Cosy, nature-inspired, contemporary

Are there any upcoming projects you’re able to discuss with us right now?

I am currently working on a simple, cosy cardigan which combines Yarnsmiths Merino Aran with the Herringbone Half Double crochet to create a beautiful fabric. I’m in love with how it’s turning out, I can’t crochet fast enough!

What are three things you would love to learn/master/execute? Doesn’t have to be crafting related!

1. Embroidery – it’s the next craft that I would like to give a go. I saw a creator (@laurensbookdiary) share her book sweater where she had embroidered a little symbol to represent every book she’d read in the year and I would love to try something like that!
2. Baking bread – I’ve got some experience baking bread but I’m very hit and miss, it is a skill that I would love to master because there really is nothing better than freshly baked bread.
3. Foraging – my family and I love to forage for things like wild garlic, mushrooms and berries but I’m not very good at identifying things. I always rely on my husband as he’s very knowledgeable. I’d love to get better at identifying plants and things myself.

Finally, could you give us a crafting tip?

Don’t be afraid to try. I think there can be a lot of pressure especially on social media to be perfect from the get-go but it’s okay to be a beginner! Don’t compare your first project to someone else’s who has years of experience. There’s joy to be had in the process and it’s fun to learn new skills and techniques, so always be willing to try!