Australian Crocheters Of Distinction

Shelley Husband

Shelley Husband, a globally influential crochet designer, earned the prestigious UK award for best-published crochet book in 2019 with "Granny Square Flair." Since then, she has authored six additional best-selling crochet books, offering a modern twist on traditional square techniques.

Based in Narrawong, South West Victoria, Australia, Shelley passionately designs seamless crochet patterns, aiming to teach others through supportively crafted patterns for creating timeless heirlooms. Alongside her online presence, she travels globally to teach crochet and is known for working predominantly with 8-ply cottons in blues and creams. Her patterns, ranging from beginner to advanced, fulfil the long-standing demands of crocheters.

Now, alongside revered figures like Jane Crowfoot and Deri Uys, Shelley Husband stands as a living legend in contemporary crochet, bringing pride to Australia on the global stage.

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Jenny King

One of the most striking attributes that describe Crochet Guild Australia’s Initiator and first president Jenny King is her encouraging attitude.

From crochet beginners to veterans of the trade, there is always something new to learn and little gems to explore when Jenny is talking about crochet.

Jenny learned to crochet from her aunt when she was a little kid and never really stopped since then. She is the author of 13 self-published books, was a regular contributor to Annie’s and the designer of over 600 patterns. Jenny has taught at 16 Crochet Guild of America conferences over the last 24 years, which may have contributed for her being known very well in America.

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Prudence Mapstone

Renowned for pioneering free form crochet, Prudence Mapstone, born in Melbourne in 1958, transformed the craft in the 1980s. Her unique, nature-inspired creations, incorporating unconventional materials, gained international acclaim.

Beyond her art, Prudence is an influential educator, authoring key works like "Freeform: Serendipitous Design Techniques for Knitting & Crochet." Her global impact is evident in the vibrant community she cultivated and the annual "International Freeform Fiberarts Exhibition." Prudence's legacy reshapes crochet, elevating it as a respected form of contemporary art.

Ewa Pachucka

Polish artist Ewa Pachucka (1936-2020) lived in Australia from 1971-2000. Her art works pioneered the use of crochet in textile and fibre art in Australia. Her works bridged the divides between art and craft, masculine and feminine, domestic and public. The 1970s saw a surge in interest in art works made from textiles and fibre and Pachucka was at the forefront of this movement in Australia.

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Madam Weigel

Madame Weigel was born in 1847 in Prussia (Poland). She went on to become arguably one of the most influential persons in Australasia's fashion history. During the 90 years of her pattern printing and publishing business’ operation, 9000 patterns (high end and everyday) were published. Her pattern series spanned the period from 1878 to 1969, her journal was published from 1880 to 1950.

Madame Weigel’s pattern series spanned 91 years from 1878 to 1969, and her journal was published from1880 to 1950. She made over 9000 patterns for sewing clothing, homewares, crochet and knitting patterns. Dr Veronica Lampkin has researched Madame Weigels life and work for many years, and she has written four hardcover books to date which cover the many aspects of Madame Weigel’s career. Dr Lampkin was also the key speaker at the CGA Conference Banquet Dinner and she presented many slides and handouts of Madame Weigel’s life and work. Dr Lampkin named Madame Weigel ‘The Woman who Clothed the Australasian Colonies’.

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Mary Card

Mary Card was a crochet pattern designer specialising in filet crochet consisting of household linens, insertions and edgings, an earlier well-respected crochet designer.

Born in Castlemaine, Victoria, in September 1861, her career also spanned across Australia, England, and America. Many of her patterns are held at the National Library, Australia.

In 1880 Mary was a student at the National Gallery School of Design. In the late 1880s she wrote a novel, probably never published. By 1890 she had established a small school in Auburn Road, Hawthorn, and had developed a particular interest in speech training; however, by 1903 she had to relinquish it because of increasing deafness. Faced with the need to find an occupation in which her disability was not a handicap, she decided to combine her writing, drawing and needle-work abilities to become a 'professional designer and teacher of needlework through the press'. Choosing Irish crochet as her medium, she joined a Ladies' Work Association which undertook repairs of valuable crochet pieces and taught herself to mend old lace. From these heirlooms she learned the principles of Irish crochet, discovering that she could make new and effective designs to be worked from a chart method of her own invention rather than the usual printed directions.