Say hello to September’s and queen of the plants- Emily Siân Hart! Her colourful cacti are a playful twist on traditional crocheting, so rest assured you’ll never be stuck plucking cacti needles out of your fingers with a pair of tweezers.

Emily and her dog Giles basking in their cacti haven

Tell us about your journey to get to where you are today?
I’ve had a bit of a roundabout journey to arriving where I am today with my crocheting. I went straight from high school into a Fine Art Photography degree at The Glasgow School of Art and whilst I enjoyed my time there I kind of fell out of love with photography towards the end. Life and work took over for a while after graduating and I threw myself into other creative projects. I sort of stumbled upon crocheting as a hobby - I was looking for something relaxing to do after work and wanted to make some homely blankets and cushions as I was renovating my flat at the time. My mum showed me some crochet stitches to get me started. She’s a fantastic sewer but hadn’t knitted or crocheted anything in a while - I remember her getting out her knitting bag and finding a half-finished knitted baby dress that was supposed to be for baby Emily!

I posted a few of my cacti online and I started getting messages asking if I would make them to sell which I wasn’t really considering at that point. I decided to open an etsy shop and within a few months I had sold enough cacti to leave my job and pursue my venture full time! I like how naturally it all came about. I definitely wasn’t a business person so it’s been a massive learning curve but because I didn’t have any initial expectations it hasn’t seemed too overwhelming.

Emily’s crocheted cacti - available in Òr

Where do you find inspiration for your work from?

I’m greatly inspired by travel but unfortunately don’t get the chance to do this as often as I’d like. A trip to Copenhagen at the beginning of the year was massively inspirational and I’ve got some plans and patterns in the works that are definitely influenced by colours, design and exhibitions I visited.

I also recently started making jewellery which has allowed me to experiment with different techniques and draw on colour and geometric inspirations that don’t really get the opportunity to manifest in my cacti.

Emily’s crocheted pom pom earrings - available in Òr

What do you find are the most rewarding aspects of what you do?
I love seeing my products in other peoples homes. It’s always touching to know that your work is appreciated and enjoyed. I also enjoy teaching workshops - it’s so rewarding seeing someone happy with a finished product and a new skill after a couple of hours! Community is also a great aspect of being a maker - I’ve met so many wonderful, like minded people through local markets and online.

Emily’s cacti are the most low maintenance plants we’ve ever had here at Òr! Her pots are all beautifully hand-painted, and she’s recently brought out a range of jewellery and baskets too. We can’t wait to see what crocheted creations she has in store for us in the future!

Find Emily on instagram: @emilysianhart

Emily Siân Hart Scotlands Answer To Contemporary Crochet