my story
I’M CLAIRE AND I RUN COOKSTON CRAFTS FROM MY HOME in Aberdeenshire, Scotland where I live with my husband, three children and Springer Spaniel, Stanley.
I teach crochet, knitting and sewing workshops in a converted farm steading in Aberdeenshire. I create luxury hand dyed yarn and kits inspired by the Scottish countryside around me.
My love and passion for crafts came from two amazing ladies in my life, ‘Grandma Black’ & ‘Mama Milne’. They set me up on my creative journey and the rest of I’ve learnt along the way.
Grandma Black was a brilliant knitter and I can’t really remember how old I was when she started to fix my knitting. She was forever making baby jackets and hats for charity and I cherish her old patterns and wonky needles.
Mama Milne was a talented seamstress and taught me to sew using scraps of curtain fabric. She worked so hard all her life and was still sewing and fitting curtains in her 80’s!
I miss them both every single day ❤️
When my children were small, I decided that I wanted to learn to crochet and started watching You tube videos. Once I had cracked it, I was completely hooked. I crocheted for my family and friends and wanted to share this skill with others. You tube can be great for learning a new skill, however, there is nothing better than having someone there to guide you and keep you on the right track so I began teaching crochet workshops around the kitchen table back in 2015.
Within a couple of years I realised that I needed a dedicated workshop space so we converted an old farm steading on the outskirts of Ellon. It is now a welcoming, bright, creative space that I use to teach workshops, host monthly craft nights and display my beautiful hand dyed yarn.
The workshop in Ellon is open to visitors every Wednesday during term time - although alternative times can be arranged.
I feel so lucky to be doing what I love every day - sharing my passion with other people. You might want to watch my You Tube Podcast to find out more. Feel free to join us in the Cookston Crafters Facebook Group where you’ll find lots of help, support and inspiration for your next project.
Come and visit Cookston Crafts in Aberdeenshire!