Susanna Freymark
Sometimes Katherine Golchert uses her crocheting and knitting skills to make jumpers for trees.
She knitted a huge Mario character to yarn bomb a tree trunk in Warwick for the Jumpers and Jazz event every July.
“It took three months to make,” Katherine said. Mario won first prize.
“I love yarn bombing because it’s fun.
“I like the creative challenge of thinking of something, then crocheting with my hands and then seeing people’s surprise and smiles.”
The teapot she made for Vogue Knitting Live in New York took three months to make too.
Her piece, Crochet is a Conversation Starter, was selected for the January exhibition along with 15 other artists.
“I’m into Japanese mending and used rust, orange and a neutral colour palette for this work.”
Katherine went to New York and loved it.
“It was my first time and it was incredible,” she said.
“It was very expensive there.
The 43 year old fibre artist comes from Bundaberg and has worked in the fashion industry for 20 years.
“I read a careers book in high school,” Katherine said.
“I decided I wanted to work in fashion.
“I had my own business making bridal gowns.”
Katherine left Brisbane and for three months tried to find a house close to her Wollongbar TAFE job teaching fashion.
Four months ago, Katherine came to Casino with her dog Shadow and is enjoying the “quiet lifestyle”.
Katherine said that people always stop and speak with her when she sits and crochets in public.
“They tell me a story about their nan or ask what I’m working on,” Katherine said.
She’s happy to talk about crocheting, fashion and all things creative.
“I’ve always been creative,” she said.
“I get it from my mum. She was a phenomenal cake decorator.”
Katherine started crocheting after a serious motorbike accident when she was 35.
She broke her back in a crash in Brisbane.
“It was part of my recovery. I couldn’t sew.
“I used to sit with a heat pack and I learned to crochet.”
She regularly goes to the Northern Rivers Crafternoon at McKees Hill every month.
Crochet is good for mental health, and gives a sense of purpose, Katherine said.
Check out Katherine’s Instagram under Katherine the Creator.
She is running a Beginner’s Crochet class at Cassino Gallery on March 1. The session is three hours and costs $60/person. Tickets are available here.
There is a second session on March 8 where people will be taught how to crochet granny squares, hexagons and octagons which are the building blocks for bigger works. Book here.
Katherine caters for left and right handed knitters. She is a lefthander.
Katherine has an online store to buy everything you need to sew. Take a look at it here.
