Lois Floyd: Finding balance through mindful crochet
For Sheffield crochet designer Lois Floyd, making is a mindful practice as much as a creative one.
Through Logii, she creates thoughtful patterns, kits and handcrafted crystal stitch markers for conscious crocheters; tools designed to bring beauty and calm to the creative process.
For Lois, crochet is about more than making accessories. It’s about slowing down, reconnecting with yourself, and finding wellbeing through craft. Her designs have appeared in Inside Crochet, Crochet Now, and Simply Crochet, and she has also worked with Hobbycraft and Curate Crochet Box.
Here is her story, in her own words.
Early inspiration: How a crochet blanket sparked Lois’s creative journey
About 16 years ago, I was following the blog of Sandra Juto, a Swedish designer who lives in Berlin and crochets. I was seeing her really beautiful apartment in Berlin with all this crocheted stuff, and I was like: that’s really cool!
I went onto her website to see how much one of her crocheted blankets would cost, and it was way out of my price range. So, I decided to teach myself how to make one. My result was nowhere near as beautiful as hers! I made a miniature version, and would end up using it as a baby blanket for my kids. So, that's kind of how it all began, with a crocheted blanket from Sandra Juto that I’d fallen in love with.
Then, I had my first baby in 2015, and that was a fountain of inspiration. I made loads of things for him and for his nursery. And I started my Instagram account. It gave me something creative to do and share. And that's how Logii began.
There's something really magical about working with fibres. It connects you to the earth. And the process of making something for someone you love got me hooked. Making things for my children and for friends, and getting some great feedback, it was all really positive.
When a handmade business leads to burnout
I didn't plan to sell things, but then I kind of got into it. I launched a small business selling children's nursery items: wall hangings, bunting, blankets. I would do local markets and sell on Etsy.
I did that for a few years, and I was trying really hard to make it my full-time job. But I wasn't really enjoying making the same things over and over. And I wasn’t getting a great deal of money from it. I think if the return on my time investment was greater, it might have been more of a motivation. But I was spending lots of time doing it, going to markets, and being away from my kids.
I think I was working too hard on it, I wasn't being gentle with myself. I was putting so much pressure on it, and it just sucked the joy out of it.
And that's when I reached burnout at the end of 2019. I got to the end of a busy Christmas period, and I floated the idea in my head of stopping. What if I pressed pause for a bit? And I just felt a big relief. So, I knew it was time to give it a rest for a bit.
Finding joy again through crochet and creativity
I didn’t crochet for a few months. And then, I remember sitting out in the garden and deciding to make a blanket. I still had loads of yarn, so I picked some. I remember sitting out there, doing it and really enjoying it. And that was the spark that ignited it all again for me.
Before my burnout, I thought making patterns was something really out of my reach. But now, I decided to give it a go. I think my first one was a wall hanging. I’d just gotten into Stitch Fiddle, a really cool tool that lets you draw your own charts. And I decided to try, and it did okay.
I eventually signed up for magazine call outs, and I did a few wall hangings for Crochet Now and Simply Crochet. That gave me a little boost of confidence as well. You've got the safety net of somebody looking at it and doing all the technical editing. That was a learning curve, but it showed me that I can do scary things. And that’s huge.
Writing patterns truly brought back the joy for me. I get the joy of having the idea and the inspiration, putting it out into the world, getting the feedback, and connecting with other crocheters.
Years later, Logii is still ever evolving. There are ups and downs with the business. But the online community is really important to me. I don't want to say it’s an escape, but if I make something, I like to share it. The crafting community is just really supportive.
Conscious crochet: crafting for wellbeing and mental health
I’ve always been interested in health and well-being, but during the pandemic I, like so many others, took a really long look into what that means for me and my family. Now it’s an important part of everyday life for us. We’re not extreme by any stretch of the imagination, but we try to live holistically. We grow food down at the allotment, eat well, and use natural cleaning products.
When I picked up crochet again, it was at a time when I was very stressed, and it was so good for me. It just felt like a natural kind of connection. And now there's loads of research to support how handicrafts are just so great for your mental health: doing things with your hands, slowing down, and being present in the moment.
Scandi style, natural fibres and sustainable yarn choices
I've always really liked that scandi look. It’s inspired me for a long time. Even when I was doing all the nursery stuff, there was definitely a scandi aspect to it. And I’ve always been drawn to natural materials because, for me with my children, I just want them to be wrapped up in organic cotton and things like that.
And then, just learning about how fibers can impact your health and the planet's health is something I’m really focused on. I love finding new yarn brands that have a strong eco ethos and look after their animals and or natural dyers.
In terms of projects that inspire me, it’s a funny process. There’s always so many ideas, it’s hard to narrow it down. Sometimes it'll come from a stitch pattern that I've found. Or it'll be a yarn that I've seen and I want to turn that into something. Or sometimes it's just a piece that I'm missing in my wardrobe.
It all started off really playful because I made lots of children's things, so color was quite important. But now that the kids are growing up, I'm making more things for myself, and I don't wear an awful lot of color. Though I am introducing more of it!
I still love making blankets. I’m going to be making a blanket soon because my cousin is having a baby and it's always really special. I'm going back to the first thing I made. I love making blankets because it's so meditative.
What’s next on Lois’s creative journey
What I want to do next is learn to sew. I’ve got it on my list this year! Last year, I learned to knit. Now, there’s loads of sewing projects I’ve loved the look of on Pinterest, and I want to try! My auntie gave me a sewing machine a few years ago, and I need to use it.
I'm also the Sheffield ambassador for the 'blankets for...' project that is run every year by Craft Forward. We ask people to knit/crochet squares that are then turned into blankets for people experiencing homelessness. This will be happening again this year, starting in August, so stay tuned for that!
Advice for Crocheters: creativity, confidence and enjoying the process
You turn to crafts for inspiration, creativity, balance, and mental health. I think everybody should crochet or knit or sew. Everyone should try making their clothes at least once, just so they know the effort that goes into it. It gives you a completely new perspective, doesn't it?
Enjoy the process, don't put pressure on yourself. I don't rush myself anymore, I want to enjoy what I’m doing. I don’t want to make the mistakes that I made last ime.
Don't be afraid of making mistakes either, because that's a great way to learn. I am doing this at the minute with knitting. I'm a beginner and I'm making so many mistakes, but that’s how you do get better.
And then find your people as well, reach out to the community, share what you've made. There's a whole world of like-minded people out there.
Know someone working with materials in exciting, sustainable ways and/or making a difference in their community through craft? We’d love to feature their story. Get in touch at hello@destasher.co.uk.
