Hookin up!

I am part of the month long project called Hookin Up, designed to help spread the word about crochet and kick ass blogs.  You can see the idea and its many participants here.

Yesterday I was reviewed by the wonderful Cris from ‘Crochet with Cris’ who made me beam all over, she is lovely… go and read the interveiw and say hello to the very talented Cris Click Here

Now its my turn, with the wonderful Jocelyn from Cute Crochet Chat

The first thing I notice about Cute Crochet Chat is the literally delicous blog header. It makes me want to eat cupcakes with pink frosting decorated with cute little butterflies, then roll around in tub filled with delicate mohair yarns.

CCC is run by Jocelyn Sass wonder woman extrodinare. Not only does Jocelyn design crochet patterns, she does everything else! From blogging, taking photos and editing to book keeping and filling orders and shipping them. Phew! I don’t know how she does it.

You can access Jocelyns patterns through her website or etsy link. Immediatly I click and vist etsy and am delighted to be presented with hats, headbands and some cute home decore. My eyes are drawn to a flower headband ( a gal can never have to many hair bands)

Gorgeous hair wrap

Once again i’m impressed by how clear the photos are and the fact that the listing tells you what weight yarn you will need (it may be surprising but a number of pattern designers do not list what yarn is required when uploading their patterns to etsy. ) and type of stitches used. Pattern prices are more then reasonable(which means you’ll want to purchase more than one!)

Back at Jocelyn’s blog I’m charmed by her conversational tone, yes I really do feel as if she is talking to me, her book reviews make me want to go out and buy tons of crochet books ,but for those of you like me who would rather spend money on yarn, you are in luck! Cute Crochet Chat regularly has giveaways, so make sure you subscribe!

Jocelyn very kindly decided to take time out of her busy schedule and answers some quick questions.

Five Fast Ones! (Five interview questions)

1. Where do you find your inspiration for designing crochet patterns?

Inspiration for designing comes from so many places! Sometimes, it depends on what you are ‘into’ at the time. By that I mean when my children were small, I loved designing toys, dolls and other kid related items. When my daughters were teenagers, I loved designing the latest ‘trend’ in hats and other accessories. Right now, I have been designing baby crochet items for my oldest daughter’s new photography business. So you can see, sometimes “Necessity IS the mother of invention”! I also love designing wearable accessories that are quick and easy to crochet. Ideas come from all over. I love finding inspiration in a fabric shop! I adore all the beautiful colors and patterns of sewing fabric. I also look through magazines, pattern books and trendy internet sites.

2. How long does it take you to complete a design?

When I was selling my crochet designs to books and magazines, my items took a much shorter time to crochet and write instructions for from start to finish. Since I have been self-publishing, bringing a design to completion takes a tremendous amount of time. That is because when you self publish and sell your designs yourself, there is so much more work involved to bring it to fruition. You control and must accomplish all the work involved yourself, from writing the pattern, to photographing the prototype, to formatting the pattern for publication, to writing all the descriptions for your items, to then delivering the pattern to the buyer! Right now, I have about 15-20 crochet patterns that have been designed and crocheted, but still need me to size the pattern, photograph the item and format the pattern for publication! It now takes me some time to bring a design to the crocheting public!

3. What is your favourite project to make?

I originally learned to crochet so I could make lovely, lacy doilies! But over the years I have come to appreciate the speed of crochet, while making quick and easy home decor, fashion accessories and baby items! I love that you can start with only a ball of yarn and a hook and sometimes overnight create a gorgeous item!

4. Chocolate or Ice cream?
Without question, CHOCOLATE!

5. Any Tips for those wishing to enter the crochet industry professionally?

First and foremost, always be as professional as you can in every aspect of your business, whether you are dealing with editors, contract crocheters, publishers or your own customers. Do your homework and know what is involved in creating crochet designs that are suitable for publication. Read as much as you can about the business of crochet design. There is so much information that is available on the internet today, that was not available when I first started designing! Look through the crochet publications to see what type of designs they usually publish. Don’t send a crochet doily pattern to an editor that only publishs crochet wearables! Above all else, have fun with your crochet!