The Inspiring World of Irish Crochet

Traditional Irish crochet, with its beautiful lacy motifs and the intricately cabled fisherman sweaters of the last century, still inspires modern crochet designers today. Recently we asked crochet designers and good friends, Bonnie Barker and Jennifer E. Ryan, to chat about their friendship and Irish-inspired crochet designs. The following is an excerpt from their video chat. Make sure to visit their websites to watch the complete video between these two good friends.

- Janice Snyder

Crochet World (CW): Tell us how you met.

Jennifer: We were at the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) Conference in 2012. It was the first day, and we sat next to each other. Things got started quickly. There was yarn on the table and some free hooks. The class speaker said, “Hey, while you’re listening today, crochet a square.” I remember thinking, “I can’t take notes and crochet.” I took notes because I wanted to absorb everything. Bonnie, however, crocheted a square with this complicated cable, like that (snaps her fingers). From there, we talked, and I remember walking through the hallways talking about how we were both faith-based homeschooling moms, how we both love music, and, of course, how we both love Ireland and Irish style crochet.

Bonnie: I remember seeing Jennifer from a distance even before we met. This tall, young, thin lady was walking in the door with her rolling briefcase, and there was a small, green Celtic knot intricately woven and somehow attached to her bag. I thought, “I’ve never seen that before! That’s interesting; we’ve got to talk.” I don’t know if I purposefully sat next to her or how that all happened, but I am delighted that we had a chance to talk. It was like we had already been friends for years.

CW: When did you both discover you had a love for Irish-inspired crochet designs? When did the Irish culture and your crochet world collide?