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Meet the Designer: The Dancing Yarn

I'm happy to introduce to your my first Designer Meet & Greet. It's always exciting to meet a fellow Canadian designer, and one from British Columbia (where I live) is super exciting! lol



What is your name, business name & where do you live?

My name is Maria Bruni & my business is The Dancing Yarn.

I am a long time resident of Burnaby, BC

 

When/How did you learn to crochet?

I learned to crochet at the age of 10.  Taught by my maternal grandmother.  She would sit by her bedroom window crocheting doilies.  I would sometimes sit with her and watch her crochet.  One day I picked up a crochet hook and started copying what she did and voila!  The rest is history…. 



What made you decide to start designing patterns?

After I retired in 2015, I decided to crochet more often as now I had the time.  So, I crocheted a pair of fingerless gloves and a Santa Hat, and was told that I should try and write up the patterns and sell on Ravelry.  Those were my first patterns.  I didn’t think that I could have ever been a designer.


How would you say that your crochet designing has changed from when you started?

Since I started designing my crocheting skills have improved 100%.  Learning and creating new stitches becomes easy to do and understand.  The concept of how each stitch works became easier to understand.



What’s your go-to yarn and crochet hook? Any particular reason why you prefer them?

My go to yarn for now is Loops & Threads, Impeccable.  Although I do work with other yarns.  Loops & Threads has a wide array of colors and types of yarn .  Yarn is very easy to work with.  The big one for me, is the color of a different lot number is usually the exact color. My preferred hook sizes are 5mm or 5.50mm.  With this hook size I find that the stitches are visible and tension is always consistent.



What are some of your favorite crochet techniques/stitches/ patterns?

Cable Stitches and/or Puff Stitches seem to be my favorite so far.  Front Post stitches are also a favorite.  These types of stitches provide lots of texture and depth in a project.

Are you a one-project-at-a-time person, or do you have a lot of WIPs on the go?

I usually have 4 to 5 projects going on at one time.  I notorious for working on one project and then half way through, I’ll start another because I don’t want to loose my train of thought for a new idea.


What’s the process like when you design a crochet pattern? What are some words you would use to describe your patterns?

1.    Think of an idea of what I’d like to make.

2.   Decide whether it requires a graph and do the math.

3.    Crochet small swatches to see if viable.

4.   Crochet a prototype and write out pattern.

5.   If happy with prototype, type out pattern.

6.   Do a Testers Call and have pattern tested.

7.   Release new pattern and promote.


Words to describe my patterns. -  Easy to understand and follow.  Simple layout.  Very explanatory. Lots of photos.  


Tell us about your favorite make or biggest crochet triumph?

Ocean Waves Shawl Pocket &  Pearls of the Sea Collection.  These became very popular and a huge pattern seller.


Paying it forward, who are some of your favorite crochet designers/ bloggers?

Audrey Friesen, Regina Pastrano, Joey Baird, Helen Pal, Patti Hester, Kathy Lutz, LaShika Taylor.

 

Where can we find you online?

Thank you so much Maria for the wonderful interview!


PIN FOR LATER



 


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