6/5 ~ HEIDI BEARS, on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird
It’s pretty exciting getting to talk to someone from all the way around the world. Heidi Bears called in from South Africa, proving that guests and listeners could be from anywhere in the world!
Heidi’s designs have been favorites on Ravelry and Pinterest, they are cheerful and fun, which puts a smile on the face of all that see them.
Her first crochet lessons were in school as it was required of all school children. She says her first project was an ugly pillow (we’re all so hard on our first projects). After her daughter was born, she left her secular career, and found herself picking up knitting and crochet as a hobby. As with many, that became a career.
Her website came of a desire to create for her godson and a search for stuffed animals on Google, where she found her neighbor across the road had an etsy shop and blog. This inspired her, thinking it might be a fun thing to do. https://heidibearscreative.blogspot.com/ The first design was the Lollo Bear https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lollo-the-african-flower-bear (this link is in Ravelry)
She keeps in mind the visual learners so her patterns, as Marly says, are like a workshop. Clearly, that is a good way to write a pattern Ravelry shows that more of these bears have been created than any of her other patterns, but one, the Happypotamus. Using hexagons and polygons in crochet have given her the ability to make a recognizable shape of an animal. Marly admired that at her website: https://heidibearscreative.blogspot.com/ she features knitting also and not just toys. She is a big fan of socks made with Magic Loop!
We posted a picture of Puff the Magic Stegosaurus last night on the Marly Bird Facebook page and it was a HUGE hit! https://www.facebook.com/MarlyBird At this point there have been 3,500 views in about 18 hours! Marly shared that she has purchased the pattern, admires that Heidi went in to such great detail as the pattern is 39 pages long just to make sure that whoever purchases the pattern will be able to complete the project.
Colors are important, she uses wonderful local indie dyers with wonderful South African Merino wool. She promised to send links will update when we get those.
Got the links today! Thank you, Heidi. www.colourspun.com and www.nurturingfibres.com
Make sure to take time to listen, not only to her beautiful accent but to the inspiration she shares with us!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Heidi Bears from?
So here’s the thing… Heidi Bears actually called in from South Africa! Isn’t that amazing? It just goes to show that crafters and designers can be from absolutely anywhere in the world.
How did Heidi Bears get started with crochet?
Honestly… she first learned crochet in school as a required class, and her first project was a bit of a “so-so” pillow. But after her daughter was born, she picked it up again as a hobby, and well… you know how that goes, it turned into a whole career!
What inspired Heidi Bears to start designing?
Yes! She wanted to create something for her godson and was searching online for stuffed animals. That’s when she saw a neighbor had an Etsy shop and blog, and it sparked the idea for her own creative journey. Her very first design was the Lollo Bear!
Are Heidi Bears’ patterns good for visual learners?
Oh, absolutely! She really keeps visual learners in mind, and her patterns are described as being like a workshop in a book. Marly even mentioned that they are super detailed, like the Puff the Magic Stegosaurus pattern being 39 pages long, to make sure you can finish the project.
Where can I find the yarn Heidi Bears recommends?
She uses some wonderful local indie dyers from South Africa. You can check out her recommended yarns from Colourspun at www.colourspun.com and Nurturing Fibres at www.nurturingfibres.com. They sound lovely!
