The Hyperbolic Crochet Reef in Sheffield!

I was delighted to be asked to facilitate crochet workshops alongside the amazing Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, one of my favourite crochet projects and apparently the largest collaborative community arts project in the world!

The project does what it says on the tin and is literally a giant crocheted coral reef! It involves maths, science, craft, ecology and much much more. It was started as a way of educating people about the decline of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and has grown from there.


The ladies who started it tour the world with their reef and start a 'satellite' reef wherever they visit. In 2008 they came to the UK and started a new reef at the Hayward Gallery in London. Crafts Council UK then took stewardship of the reef and tour it to venues around the country where people can join in workshops and add to the reef. It is in Sheffield at the Millennium Galleries from January- June 2012 as part of the Under the Sea exhibition.

Carry on reading for photos and details of the various workshops I have held alongside the reef.

Crochet Coral Reef Children's Festival Ancient Reef April 2012

I was asked by Weston Park Museum to make a new reef with children at the Sheffield Children's Hospital during April to be displayed during the Sheffield Children's Festival in the museum. The new reef is an 'Ancient Reef' and will be displayed alongside an exhibit that talks about the fact that 340 million years ago Sheffield would have been under the sea and in it's place would have been a reef.

For this project we will be making a few crocheted corals and then lots of polyps using french knitting and finger crochet techniques.


Check out the display in Weston Park Museum in during the Children's Festival (18th June- 14th July 2012) check museum listings for exact dates.

Crochet Coral Reef 6 week beginners crochet workshop Feb/ Mar 2012


As well as the one day workshop I also taught a 6 week beginners crochet class inspired by the reef. We spent the first 3 weeks covering the basic crochet techniques and then participants could choose to continue on learning more skills or to make the various coral forms. Considering nearly everyone was a total beginner it's amazing what we made in the end! And a real testament to the versatility of the project- allowing people to engage on a range of levels.



We didn't really take any photos in the workshops but this mini reef is the result of the 6 weeks class. These pieces will now be added to the future reef displays as they tour the country.


Crochet Coral Reef one day workshop at the Millenium Galleries 12/02/12



In February 2012 I held a one day workshop at the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield teaching more experienced crocheters how to make corals.




The day included a tour and talk about the reef in the gallery and then crochet sessions working through the various coral forms.






Everyone produced something they were really happy with and we ended up with loads of new coral to add to the reef!





Someone even made an octopus to add in to the reef!



This is a collection of the coral to be added to the reef.