Crochet designers Rebecca Velasquez, Sheryl Means, Kristin Omdahl and Marly Bird talk about being crocheters in the yarn industry.
The panel of designers are familiar with knitting and crochet. Some questions and topics that came up in this podcast:
- As a crochet designer do you feel it’s important that you learn to knit and design for knitting?
- Do yarn shops get the feedback of “I didn’t know you could do that with crochet!”?
- Why are some yarns assumed to be not crochet compatible? Where does that bias come from?
- Should yarn shop owners be trying to get more knitters to pick up a hook and learn crochet?
- Big box stores vs the Local Yarn Shops and stereotypical crochet bias.
- Unexpected Afghans, Vogue Knitting Crochet, and others are baby steps in bringing crochet to attention
- Why do knitting patterns seem to be outselling crochet patterns? When the same designer is behind both?
- Are crocheters more likely to be inventive and have that “I can do that” motivation where knitters cling to a pattern?
- Crochet designers can’t make the quality pattern designs you might want – when the patterns aren’t being bought!
- As a designer, is it smart to cater to the crocheter who will want Big Box Yarn and occasionally spice it up with a LYS yarn?
- Are crochet classes offered at industry events of a high quality?
- It’s important to stay excited!
- Try new things, be willing to learn and grow!
- Support the people who are doing the work you enjoy!
- Try new yarns!
Call in guests: Laura Krzak of Fuzzy Wuzzy Yarns in Illinois; Sara Kay Hartmann; and Rohn Strong
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- Find our more about Marly at www.MarlyBird.com or follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marlybird
This podcast is sponsored by: Knitter’s Magazine, Craftsy, Fiesta Yarns, Kollage Yarns and Bijou Basin Ranch.
I’ve really enjoyed listening to your designer roundtable chats. It has been very informative.
I knit, but I am not good at it. I love crochet, and I am more than willing to purchase a good crochet pattern and spend the money if it is what I want. I came from a sewing background, and I was a big fan of the good designer Vogue patterns instead of a McCall’s cheapie. I like unique designs. Don’t stop making them. I. Too, have been told by knit shops that ” you can’t crochet with that”, and I’ve been told you can’t use sock yarn too. I wasn’t sorry when I heard that that particular shop was going out of business. Keep making the good stuff-designs and classes. People will hopefully show up. I have been going to the CGOA events and have a wonderful time. Crochet is wonderful, and you people rock!