Granny Market Bag. Free Crochet Pattern

If you’re a bag lady like me, you might be interested to learn that I have a new granny market bag pattern in the latest issue of Olann and magazine. (I’m not even going to mention the fact that it’s made of granny stitches, or the fact that I said I’d back off granny for a bit).

Olann and is a fabulous online magazine and it’s completely free! It’s a brilliant and beautiful resource for all kinds of yarny goodness. Whether you’re a crocheter, knitter or an all round fan of fibre and crafts, you’ll definitely find something in there that you’ll like.  I’m coming off like an annoying ad (soz about that), I don’t mean to, honest, I just happen to really like this magazine; the fact that it’s free is amazing. One of my favourite things is that crochet is so heartily included within the issues. No second class status for us hook wielding folk!

Please go HERE, which takes you directly to the pattern.

I wish I’d had the wherewithal to take another picture so you could see its rounded granny bottom. However, fear not! If you pop over to find the pattern you get to see a couple more pics, and another variation of colours with different striping too!

Deirdre and Lora also have a podcast on YouTube that you might fancy checking out. There’s usually plenty of giggles and a good selection of things they’ve made. Thanks go to Fay from the Crochet Circle Podcast for introducing me to them!

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xxx

 

Emergence of Spring. A Pretty Crochet Wrap

A few months ago this pretty wrap was in Inside Crochet magazine (issue 99). In the same issue I got the back page interview!! I was ridiculously excited about both the pattern and the interview (see below). And I still am. Anyway, enough time has passed that I can release Emergence of Spring as an independent pattern.

Fancy 20% off the pattern price? Click on the following text:

To celebrate there is 20% off until midnight (GMT) July 4th!! Run to Ravelry to get your copy!

Photo taken by Lucy Williams for Inside Crochet. Issue 99.

I loved making this shawl. It was actually my Christmas Day 2017 make (and Boxing Day, and a couple of the following days!). The design was inspired by last summer’s holiday to Lancashire and Yorkshire, which you can read about HERE and HERE. I wonder if you see the same inspirations as me. There are lots of moments as a crocheter that push themselves to the front and this shawl (and all the stuff behind it) is one of them. I can’t explain why exactly because it’s a combination of things. But essentially what you need to know is this, I’m very proud of it and myself!

Cheers. X

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I’m learning to hate this headshot!
My dogeared copy of Issue 99 of Inside Crochet magazine.

xxx

A Crochet Podcast. Episode 32.

Hola! It feels like it’s been ages but really it has been the usual amount of time, it’s just that I’ve been on holiday! For someone with a lack of crochet on the go I seem to have an awful lot to talk about. It’s all relative so don’t worry about any nonsense. See below for links to all things discussed in this episode, plus a few pics too. As ever, please click on the pic above to go to the episode or HERE to my YouTube channel. Thank you very much.

Holey Smokes! Version 1 is on Ravelry HERE. Version 2 is on the way at sometime in the future…

My original pompom edging tutorial. I plan on filming a version of this soon.

Granny and her rainbow edge. A free pattern.

Off the Chart. A c2c blanket, which is now available on Ravelry.

My C2C Pinterest board. Just in case you were interested!

Check out Crochetzine over on Instagram. I love that these things are happening for crochet at the minute.

Little Burrow Designs. A friend of mine and an amazing artist.

The Contemporary Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey, Devon.

A list of CALs: The KCACY calkal, Bad Boys/Bad girls summer romance cal,  The Cherry Heart mal, Summer top cal from the Crochet Circle podcast, Love Yourself cal from Hannah over at Cosy Cottage Crochet.

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How I Became a Crochet Designer (& How You Can Become One Too)

How I Became a Crochet Designer

I’ve had “write blog post – How to become a crochet designer” on my To-do list for months. I’d been procrastinating as I knew it would be a long one. Today is the day, I have put some time aside especially, because sometimes, you just have to do the thing you’ve been putting off. I’d like to share some of my thoughts and tell you a little bit about how I started my small creative business as a crochet designer.

EDIT:: I thought you might be interested in this YouTube video for my process on how to get crochet designs published. and Publish your Crochet Designs, part 2!

Laying the Yarny Foundations

Before I begin, here’s a little bit of background about me. There are three moments in my crafty past that have really stuck with me and led me to where I am now:

1 At eight years old, Nanna told me “you won’t learn to crochet if you hold the hook like that.” Hmm, nothing quite like turning you off a craft by setting unnecessary rules. Truly, I believe Nanna’s intentions were to create a solid foundation of learning but in reality, it had the opposite effect. I also think it had something to do with the way Queen Victoria and polite “ladies” held their hooks but my memory is foggy now. Anyway, I’m no “lady”. I’m a woman who eventually learned how to crochet. Via Youtube, on my own terms, twenty years later.

2 Just over half way through that twenty year break (sometime in my early twenties) I saw my artist friend crochet cups and saucers out of plastic tubing and I casually sighed “I wish I could crochet.” Her breezy reply was “It’s easy! Go for it”. I didn’t go for it. I really should have. Much like writing this blog post, I put it off.

3 The birth of my first baby. Nanna crocheted him a giant granny square blanket and I just knew I had to make him one too. So I did. Sort of. It was actually a ripple stitch blanket and it wasn’t the first thing I made, but you know, same difference. That was just over seven years ago and with the flick of a switch, I became obsessed with crochet.

Then I was a Craft Blogger

The first real step I took towards taking my crochet hobby more seriously was to set up this creative / lifestyle blog. Admittedly, it took me about five years of just thinking about it. I was daft to delay but it’s about confidence and I didn’t have any. I had very few crochet patterns at first and was constantly fretting that no other design ideas would come to me. So not true!

I have written many crochet blog posts now, but if you are a long time reader, you will know that I also blog about other things too. I have written about my garden numerous times, typed up records of when we’ve been on our summer hols and I have shared other creative ventures (some good, some bad!).

The point is, I just started. I wrote what was in my head that day, added a few photographs and hit publish. I didn’t wait for perfection because, if that were the case, this crafty blog wouldn’t exist at all.

The more you tinker and play, the more ideas you get, I promise. It will either lead to something, or it won’t but at least you will have tried. If you are curious about the ways you can create something new with just a yarn and hook, you have the right skills for the job to start blogging about your own crochet adventures.

How I Started My Creative Business

Magazine Work

Several small, teeny tiny baby steps later I (nervously) decided the time was right. So, in October 2016 I sent out emails to three crochet magazines (you can find contact details at the front of your favourite magazines). I sent out pictures of a few different designs I’d created, asking if any publishers were interested.

The designs were all originals that I hadn’t shown to anyone else. Craft magazines prefer exclusive ideas, which is why I don’t say anything about a crochet commission until it’s about to go on sale. That, and I’m scared they’ll pull a design from the issue (it can happen, but not very often). I’m really good at keeping secrets these days. I never used to be!

One of the designs I sent was immediately accepted by Inside Crochet. Not only that but they also asked to feature my blog in their magazine! I properly freaked out, I was gobsmacked and completely delighted! Since then I’ve featured in all three magazines and had crochet designs in many issues [my work is on the front cover of each of those magazines in the above pic!!]. I’ve also designed for Hobbycraft. I am super proud of myself and if I can do it then so can you!

You don’t initially have to send in ideas like I did. You can just ask to be emailed the Calls. I was added to a Call for Submissions list by all three of the mags I contacted. Then you get to see mood board and future magazine themes, for which you then send in your ideas. Keep your eyes on social media too, you often see when a publisher is on the hunt for new designers.

You can skip the magazine bit if you prefer and just sell independently. However, you and your creative business do get positive exposure from being featured in crochet magazines.

Selling Online Patterns

Did you know that you can publish those magazine crochet patterns independently?!

In most cases (check the contract for this), after a period of time, the rights to your work are yours again and you can sell individual crochet designs to makers across the globe!

I like Ravelry as a platform for selling crochet designs. I’m still learning about it even though I’ve been on there for years. I’ve experienced some really good sales but it’s often seasonal and it’s better to have at least a handful of fabulous crochet designs available to bring in more income.

Once you’ve established how to add your design details and upload a pdf version of your crochet pattern (I need quiet for all of this as I’m well known for temper tantrums when it comes to filling stuff out online), you cross your fingers for the initial flurry of interest followed by delightful passive sales.

Etsy has been good for me too and I’ve just dipped my toe in LoveCrochet.com so I don’t have much experience of that yet. If you use these platforms, I’d love to hear what you make of them. There are other platforms too, or you can choose to open up your own online shop. I haven’t done that as the platforms I use sort out sales tax for me and I’m too lazy to do that myself at the moment.

Hints and Tips for Becoming a Crochet Designer

This is the list of info I think will be helpful for you if you need the extra push to start your own small creative business. I’ve had it scribbled down in my note book since the autumn…

  • Always be crocheting. You get better everyday.
  • Set up a blog to show case your work. After some research, I chose WordPress. If you haven’t got time for the world of blogging, then Instagram is an excellent choice. Show up though, you have to be consistent.
  • Keep a sketch book nearby (or scrawl ideas on your phone/tablet). Write down/sketch out every crochet design idea. If it’s a wearable item, draw someone wearing it as well as providing a basic schematic. You’ll need simple sketches for submissions too.
  • Swatch swatch swatch. Make good crochet swatches for all submissions. Swatches will help you work out little tweaks that need doing, help with shaping and help you work out if the maths is right etc. I dislike making swatches, but they are necessary and useful.
  • Practice pattern writing with small design projects. Maybe they can become freebies on your blog. Free crochet patterns are a lovely thing to offer but I wouldn’t recommend busting a gut on big, time consuming designs unless you have a large audience. It can be a lot of hard work for very little in return. Make it work with what’s relative to your readership so that you don’t lose out. Essentially, when your blog is monetized, you can bring in an income from ad revenue. You need a lot of traffic to make this work.
  • Don’t underestimate your worth. If a yarn company is offering you three balls of yarn in exchange for a review, ask yourself if the deal is worth it. Follow your gut on this as some collaborations are great, whereas others can exploit your good nature. Remember, exposure doesn’t pay the rent! Three balls of free yarn for an Instagram post and a Story is pretty alright. Three balls of free yarn in exhange for two IG posts, 3 Stories, a Reel and a Youtube review is not a good deal!
  • Be the best you can be. Don’t release crochet patterns that you aren’t super proud of. I frog A LOT of crochet and 99% of the time it is the right decision.
  • Keep abreast of what others are up to. What are the latest fashion trends? Popular yarns for crocheters and knitters? Popular colours? What season should be you working towards?
  • Have a look at this post about choosing colour in your projects. It might help with the point above.
  • Keep the pattern writing simple. I use Google Docs. If I’m creating a crochet pattern to sell independently, I add a small intro, a few good photographs of the design, “how-to” pics if I think it needs them, and a crochet chart (Stitchfiddle.com is what I often use).
  • Just do it! Please start. Don’t put it off, find the time to do it now!
  • And don’t forget to tell the tax man…

Like other creatives I just wanna make stuff. I’ve learned a ridiculous amount by playing around (making lots of mistakes) and I’ve probably not even covered the half of it here. Crikey, I still have a ridiculous amount to learn. I’m coming up to my third year of craft blogging but have only considered myself to be a crochet designer for about a year. That’s not a long time so I reckon I should come back and look at this next year to see what’s changed!

Please let me know if there is anything else you’d like to know or if you think I’ve missed out a vital piece of information. If you are a crochet designer too, I’d love to know what your experience has been. Tell me! Thanks ever so much! X

Episode 20. A Crochet Vlogcast

Wow, that two weeks went by really quickly! It’s already Episode 20 of my fabulously unprofessional crochet podcast (it’s a crochet vlog, I’m writing “podcast” cos of how I understand SEO. I bet it doesn’t work anyway. Meh! whatever…). As ever, please click on the above picture to be transported to the episode over on YouTube.

Although I’m wearing a crochet Christmas hat, it isn’t a particularly festive themed episode. You can’t escape the fact that the season is almost upon us but I’m not in full yule tide merriment just yet.

I talk about adjusting my knitted cowl, a new crochet design, vintage pattern books and generally waffle about stuff.

Here are some links:

Autumn mitts (again!)

Granny Stripe scarf. The  written pattern is Here and the tutorial is Here.

Higher Gills Farm Teeswater yarn

And that’s all really. I’ve not been going full steam for a while but that’s ok…

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hohoho. x

 

Episode 18 of the Zeens & Roger Crochet Vlogcast

Hallooo! Episode 18 felt very chatty to me, it’s probably just the same as usual, you know, me chatting about crochet stuff. But that is what a crochet podcast / vlogcast is all about. There’s yarn, projects, patterns, all the things I love to witter on about. Click on the pic above. Thanks ever so much.

Episode 18 covers the following things:

StitchFest SouthWest: a lovely yarn festival in Totnes, Devon.

My yarn purchases at the fest were from Bellica yarns, Devon Sun Yarns, Unbelievawool, Handdyed by Kate. Plus, Made by Jude had lovely stuff too.

The Tar Barrels: Ottery St Mary’s crazy, age old tradition flaming tradition!

Crochet Luna’s crochet pins on Etsy

Christmas present Giveaway!! You can comment on either YouTube or Ravelry or both. What do you reeaallly want for Christmas? Can you think  of the best present ever?! I’ll pick winners on Thursday 23rd November.

Pattern Testers thread on Ravelry. If you’re interested please contact me over there. I would be super grateful.

Etsy discount on my store. The code is ZEENS and the last day is Thursday 16th November.

I think that’s it! Thank you so much. Happy viewing and all that. I’d love to hear from you, let me know if you like watching podcasts, vlogs, general chats etc. X

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For the Love of Crochet

Hey there! To be honest I’m just popping by to say hello. I haven’t written a blog post this week and can’t think of anything specific to write about. So this just because I love crochet and want to share it today. Hope that’s OK.

I finished a blanket, which is pretty much the same as the first Rainbow Edged Granny I made. Unlike the other one, this one is in my Etsy shop. At the moment there is a 20% discount on all the items. That runs until the 16th of this month. The code is ZEENS.  You’ll need that to get the discount, should you wish to spend some spondoolies.

I don’t think I mentioned here that I made my friend an Urban Stripe shawl. I used Drops Merino and in case you wanted to use that too, I will tell you that it took 7 balls of yarn and the notes are all there on my Ravelry project page.

I haven’t had as many views on the latest crochet podcast. I think it might be the big spider that’s done it. The episode actually has very little to do with the spider although of course I have mentioned him. It’s a standard episode with a little bit of dressing up thrown in. Please do check it out, it’s half and hour of crochet chat. Pop over to YouTube and have a look.

I’m picking up and putting down the Weekend Blankie. Have you made one? It’s a lovely, easy project. Completely stress free actually. Mindless crochet is my favourite crochet. I’m using StyleCraft Life dk.

And I’m still working on sitting down to write up the pattern for my Holey Smokes! shawl. It’s coming with me to StitchFest Southwest this weekend. It’s very Totnes is this shawl! If only I could muster the will power to type up the pattern. I know I’ll feel much better once it’s just blimmin well written. A kick up the bum is what’s needed.

That’s pretty much been my love of crochet this week. Although I did have to put it down to watch Stranger Things 2 this week. Oh my, that was good telly!! What have you been up to?

xxx

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Crochet Vlogcast (!!) Episode 14

Crochet vlog? Crochet podcast? Nooo, it’s a Crochet Vlogcast, of course!!

Please click on the pic above to go to YouTube for the latest in my frantic crafty to-ings and fro-ings.

In this episode I discuss the following things:

Colour Block Jumper . Yep, I couldn’t find the human designer, sorry. I’m sure I saw an interview in Simply Crochet mag a few months ago. I’ll be darned if I can remember who and I don’t have the issue any more!

Ravelry – Fancy being a pattern tester for my my new shawl?

My Urban Stripe Shawl

Like the wrist warmers? The pattern is part of a set called Autumn Vintage, here.

Outlander knitwear inspiration.  Because I’m a few years behind everyone else…

And to cheer us all up a bit, check this out. Because I need a laugh right now.

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C2C Geo Crochet Bag Pattern

New pattern release!!! Yay! I’ve been working on this one for a while and I wanted to make sure it was perfect. I wish I could make loads of these crochet bags, I love them. Can you tell that I’m a lover of the corner to corner stitch?! I don’t think I’ll ever get it out of my system, there are just so many things you can do with it.

I had a vision of making black and white geometric patterns, somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to go monochrome so ended up trialling lots of colourful designs instead! I couldn’t stop at one design either. This pattern contains three different designs for the main body of the bag and two different strap designs.

The basic C2C pattern is written and there are comprehensive instructions and photographs for construction, including how to add a lining and magnetic clasp. I hope you love it as much as I do. I’ve added it to my collection of Ravelry designs here.

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The Urban Stripe Shawl

Hello, how’s it going?!

I’ve released a new pattern for this fabulous crochet shawl!! I’m wearing it as I type.

I’m trying super hard to be on “work mode” at the minute. I love crochet, just love it to pieces. But I don’t love writing up patterns. But if I want to be a crochet designer then I’ve got take all elements of it and suck it up. It gets easier the more I do it, I’m gaining confidence and learning new skills. This is good, it means the patterns that I write are getting better; I’m offering more for the money. For example, this snazzy number has a schematic of the design included and a diagram chart! I never thought I’d figure out how to do those!

Anyway, I shan’t keep you.  Please pop over to Ravelry to find out more. Thank you so much. X

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