On April 9, family, friends and a far-reaching creative community said their final goodbye to Sue Maton – one of Norfolk’s most cherished creatives. A gifted crochet designer and founder of The Mercerie, Sue’s passing after a swift and devastating battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) has left many in shock. Her loss is felt not only locally, but across the wider crochet community she so lovingly built through her work, her teaching and her generosity of spirit.
Sue was, above all, a remarkable creative force. Her journey began in the 1980s with a degree in knitwear design, followed by a Master’s at Norwich University of the Arts – then known as the Norwich School of Design – and a teaching qualification that would shape decades of influence. She went on to teach in the art and design department at City College Norwich for more than 20 years, inspiring countless students with her knowledge, encouragement and passion for textiles.
Alongside this, she contributed to the MA Textiles programme at Norwich University of the Arts between 2004 and 2010, helping to nurture the next generation of designers. In around 2012, Sue took voluntary redundancy and channelled her energy into a new venture: The Mercerie. What began as an online yarn shop quickly evolved into a platform for her own knitting and crochet designs – an extension of her creative voice that resonated with a growing audience drawn to her distinctive and expressive style.
Teaching remained central to Sue’s life. She travelled across Norfolk, and throughout the UK, hosting workshops in craft shops and creative spaces where she shared her skills and encouraged others to explore their creativity. These sessions were about far more than technique – they were welcoming, inclusive spaces where people connected through a shared love of making, guided by Sue’s warmth and her incredible knowledge of crochet and colour.
When the Covid-19 pandemic brought in-person teaching to a halt, Sue adapted with characteristic creativity and openness. During lockdown, she launched a free online project for subscribers to The Mercerie newsletter – an evolving crochet blanket. called Crojoretro. Patterns were released in stages, allowing participants to follow along as the design unfolded in real time.
It perfectly captured Sue’s ethos: inclusive, inventive and rooted in community. She continued to design with the same originality, creating works such as Homage to the Granny Square, Wall Flowers, Tessellation Nation and most recently Ogee’s – a project she was sadly unable to complete.
For many, Sue’s influence extended far beyond her published work. I first met. her several years ago at a crochet course at Norfolk Yarn and later attended some of her much-loved retreats at Breathing Space.
Over time, I was fortunate to call her a friend and mentor. She played a pivotal role in my own journey. In 2024, she encouraged me to start The Little School of Needlecraft and showed that support in the most generous way – by becoming the first tutor I hosted in my new premises, Sue’s Colour & Crochet workshop at the Little School will forever be a magical memory! Sue’s belief in others was unwavering.
She invited The Little School to become an affiliate of The Mercerie and encouraged me to teach beginner crochet classes, even allowing me to use The Mercerie’s content as a foundation. It was a gesture that reflected her deep generosity and her genuine desire to see others grow in confidence and creativity.
That generosity continues to ripple outward. The Little School of Needlecraft will carry on teaching beginners crochet in Sue’s memory, opening the door for new generations of makers to discover the joy of crochet.
Meanwhile, Jess Gallagher – Sue’s former assistant – is working closely with Sue’s family to continue The Mercerie, ensuring that her work and vision remain accessible. Through her online courses, Sue’s teaching will continue to inspire and guide countless others into her colourful crochet world.
Sue Maton’s legacy is not only in the patterns she leaves behind, but in the worldwide community she created and the lives she shaped. She did not simply teach crochet – she connected people, nurtured confidence and showed, stitch by stitch, how creativity can bring meaning and belonging. Her work lives on in every pair of hands she inspires – and in that, she is never truly gone. We will miss you, dear friend. Our thoughts and deep condolences go out to Sue’s children, her family, and her beloved crochet community.