Helen Free

Helen Free

Please note: All free patterns are now available through Rainbow Valley PayHip shops. As it will take me some time to update the indiviual links, here are the shop links.
English - https://payhip.com/RainbowValley
Deutsch - https://payhip.com/RainbowValleyDeutsch
Svenska - https://payhip.com/rainbowvalleysvenska

Enfys (pronounced Enn-viss) is Welsh for Rainbow and, as you can tell from my designs, I love Rainbows and colour.

I started crocheting as a child, my Dad taught me. I was never very serious about it. I got back into it in my early 20’s. I had just bought a house, couldn’t afford to go out and needed something to occupy my evenings.

I started getting requests for items I had made and, in an effort to make ends meet when the interest rates went sky high, decided to make items to sell.

I hadn’t even considered there would be a market for the patterns until I started getting requests for them. I was always good at just “making things up as I went along” and never thought of it as designing until I discovered the wonderful world of crochet online. I met a group of lovely ladies who encouraged me to write down my designs and sell them.

I freelance regularly for Inside Crochet and have worked with DMC and YarnMaker using hand spun yarn. I have had a few patterns in “Let’s Knit”. (I haven’t gone over to the “Dark Side”, they are crochet patterns). My newest magazine adventure was with Reloved.

Rainbow Valley is now international! The German section went live in October 2013 with the Swedish section following in January 2014, with a selection of patterns on both sections.

I love teaching!

My lessons have been proving popular which means more time teaching and less time spent designing. However, as I enjoy teaching as much as I enjoy designing, this is no hardship.

I currently hold regular weekly lessons at the shop. I love seeing my students who have been struggling with holding the hook, bloom and produce a piece of work they are pleased with.

I hold workshops for those who want to learn a new technique, brush up on an old one or who just can’t make it to my regular weekly lessons.

Then there are the Crochet Kits!

I started with Christmas patterns and am working my way through older patterns to make the “kit friendly”. All new patterns are being produced as kits as part of the design process.
As an off shoot from this, I started selling crochet yarn and accessories. Originally it was only the excess materials from the kits as I have to buy full boxes and only use one ball at a time. I now have an extensive range of yarn, thread, hooks and needles and haberdashery. This soon outgrew the house and I have a shop in Chatteris.

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original designs

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Sian Sheep Hand Puppet
Rainbow Valley
Goldy Fish Hand Puppet
Rainbow Valley
Dippy Duck Hand Puppet
Rainbow Valley
Sunrays & Moonbeams
Rainbow Valley
Rainbow Waves
Rainbow Valley
Doughnut Cushions
Rainbow Valley
Wonderland CAL
Rainbow Valley
Baa Humbug Bunting
Rainbow Valley
Festive Flowers
Helen Free's Ravelry Store
Treasure Island
Rainbow Valley
Rainbow Legwarmers
Rainbow Valley
Tub Chair Cover
Rainbow Valley
Bathroom Eco Set
Rainbow Valley
KIss Me Quick CAL
Rainbow Valley
Space Odyssey
Rainbow Valley
Baby Bovver Booties
Rainbow Valley
Funky Cat
Rainbow Valley
Art Yarn Flowers
Inside Crochet, Issue 86, 2017
Beer & Crisps Cushions
Rainbow Valley
Secret Garden
Rainbow Valley
Funky Owl
Rainbow Valley
Sunrise Stole
Rainbow Valley
Owl Bag
Rainbow Valley
Easter Shelf Sitters
Rainbow Valley
Let it Snow
Let's Knit! Magazine 100, December 2015
Christmas Coaster
Rainbow Valley
Penguins
Rainbow Valley
The Long and the Short
Rainbow Valley
Royal Blessing
Rainbow Valley
Tiger Tiger
Rainbow Valley
Aran Slipper Boots
Rainbow Valley
Aran Cushion Covers
Rainbow Valley
Blooming Marvellous
Let's Knit! Magazine 87, December 2014
Flower Coaster
Rainbow Valley
Heligan
Let's Knit! Magazine 79, May 2014
  • Heligan
  • Let's Knit! Magazine 79, May 2014
Valentino Hare
Rainbow Valley
Angora Bunnies
YarnMaker, Issue 17
Gingerbread Man
Rainbow Valley
Boho Blocks Bag
Rainbow Valley
Lace Bangles
Rainbow Valley
Teddy Bears Picnic
Rainbow Valley
Cabled Mittens
YarnMaker, Issue 14
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