What are you holding onto? What are you ready to release? How do you know when it is time to move on to the next thing?

If you look back, the patterns we find ourselves in now were formed during lockdown lives that no longer exist. We can thank these cycles for the survival purpose they served and know that it is time to release... to make way for the new. Some of us are letting go of past relationships, moving on from workplaces, finding new homes, and shedding old habits like a skin we have outgrown.
How do we know when it is time? Sometimes, it's when everything simply aligns. This was the case for Ruby, the knitter and designer of crum. An old housemate had a room open up down south, so she loaded her car with all the wool, needles and yarn she could fit, driving down the hills of Bangalow for the countryside of Castlemaine. A move this big might seem like a daunting change, but this has been her way for a while. Having lived from Bundjalung country to Naarm and places in between for the past few years, this move has symbolised a homecoming in more ways than one. Her knits under the name crum are evolving to express her desire to counter trends and create clothes that stand the test of time. By harnessing the power of knit-knowledge passed down to her through generations of matriarchs, Ruby explains that "the structure of knitwear is integral to the longevity of a knit"—just as the foundations we lay help build a life around us. She seeks to create that structure in a piece and use the knowledge passed down to her whilst breathing life into wool that may have otherwise been thrown away. This natural evolution from lost yarn to a treasured piece and her journey to come home is encapsulated in her new mohair range titled homecrumming.
THE UNRAVELING ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩

Yes, we have emerged from a collective change, but have we done a recent stocktake? Who are we on the other side of a pandemic? What of all the dream deaths, the places we thought we would be right now and where we are instead? Can we see the joy in that? What can be created of the ashes? This is crum's superpower. Weaving together what might have been lost and bringing new life to old yarn. It is not about throwing out what you have done and deciding to start from scratch. Ask yourself what you can do with what you have and make it into something new. The homecrumming capsule range is made using up-cycled mohair. "What I love about mohair is it gives this ethereal halo," says Ruby. "It looks light but is deceivingly so toasty and warm." On top of this, mohair is known to be strong and resilient. Ready to weather change.
WEAVING PAST AND PRESENT ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩

When you get a crum knit, you are getting a piece carried from place to place and through Ruby's life to become a part of your story. We know that wool lives in your wardrobe in a different way. It ages well and is made with longevity in mind. The clothes you wear over and over become a part of your life story. They help us call back memories, and these pieces are designed to help you move through life and come home to yourself every time you put on your treasured crum. Your wardrobe is your witness to what you go through—but the beauty of upcycled wool is that the pieces' past life are stories that will remain unknown.
Crum pieces are designed to come into your world and bring more warmth and a sense of familiarity. This capsule range was knitted between Awabakal, Dharawal and Dja Dja Wurrung countries, respectively, travelling the country with Ruby as she made her way home.
TYING THE LOOSE ENDS ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩ ⋆。°✩

It is time for all of us to accept our place, where we are, and that this is exactly where we are supposed to be. The opportunities that passed us by were not the paths we were meant to take. Let the ghost ships sail on. It was essential to capture this shoot on film for photographer Bronte Foster to embrace the moments that flicker and capture a reality unedited.
Shot at the Cascades on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Bronte and Manue are dear friends of Ruby who are helping her settle into a new life in the country as she prepares to begin knitting entirely new projects, commissions and connecting with the community of her new home in Guildford. It is Ruby's dream for her knits to become a part of your story and honour the value and hard work that went into the wool. Ruby picks up what was discarded and sees the potential in it all. Hopefully, you can too.
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Credits: Knits: Ruby Walpole @crum______ Photography/MUA/Styling: Bronte Foster @brontefoster Model/words: Emanuelle René @celestial__rhapsody Website: crumknits.com
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