When Morgan Collins and Cat Bloxsom started wearing handmade jumpers to the dog park and on their grocery runs during Melbourne’s first lockdown, they didn’t envision growing a community of 32K (and counting) knitting enthusiasts on Instagram.
After launching at the end of 2020, Cardigang’s knit kits gained traction throughout the various waves of house-bound months in the years since. But even though we’ve returned to life as “normal”, there’s still an appetite for DIY.
“We have a lot of repeat customers, some have bought 10 or more kits,” says Collins. “They tell us that they want to keep learning new things each time, so we’re really mindful of that and want to continue to have new and exciting things on offer”.
This summer, the brand has expanded its range to include cotton crochet kits. There are currently eight designs and 11 colours of yarn to choose from.
“It’s kind of like the Apple versus Android debate. Some people are knitters and others prefer crochet,” says Collins. “You’ve got to focus a little bit more when you crochet but it's easier to undo if you muck up.”
From forcing you to put down your phone and concentrate, to gaining an appreciation for how much work goes into a garment, the process of making a hat, bag or sleeveless knit is very meditative.
“There are so many mindfulness benefits. It takes you off a device, it's very repetitive, it forces you to focus and it's really relaxing once you get the hang of it,” Bloxsom says. “And because you’ve made it yourself, you’re going to love that piece for a lifetime.”
Traditionally thought of as a winter activity, there’s no rules about when and where you can crochet. Some of the “total beginner” crochet kits take as little as five to seven hours to complete, meaning there’s nothing stopping you from making a beach bag while you catch some sun.
“Being a beginner-focused brand – and being beginners ourselves – we have crafted our cotton yarns so that they’re nice and chunky, which makes it easier to crochet with, and faster as well,” Collins says.
The resurgence of the retro craft has been seen throughout the fashion industry over the past few years, with everything from dresses to swimsuits rendered in woven cotton. And the pastime has celebrity endorsement, too. Diver Tom Daley drew attention while making a cardigan in the stands at the Tokyo Olympics, Julia Roberts it known to be a knitter on-set and ultimate cool-girl Dakota Fanning is rumoured to have gifted her creations to co-stars in the past, including Tom Cruise.
“The knitting and crochet community, and those who are real purists, can be intimidating. There’s been some commentary about our techniques or our styles and that's kind of why we started making our kits in the first place,” says Collins. “But it's definitely something that has become more accessible and people have realised that it's actually not daggy.”
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