In this series of Behind the Stitches, crochet and knit designers are sharing their insights and experiences with us, offering a unique glimpse into their creative processes, inspirations, and personal journeys in the world of crochet and knitting.
Come and join me as I delve into the stories behind the stitches and discover what makes these designers truly exceptional.
In my hot seat today, I’m delighted to be welcoming Ashley Parker from The Loopy Lamb.
Ashley is a talented crochet designer known for amigurumi, specifically faux fur amigurumi toys with removable clothing.
I am excited to share with you her insights, experiences, and creative journey.
Meet the Crochet Designer Ashley Parker from The Loopy Lamb
Welcome to my hot seat, Ashley! I’m thrilled to have you here today to share your journey and insights as a crochet designer.
- Can you share with us how you got started with crochet?
After many failed attempts as a child to learn to crochet, I took a class at Michaels as an adult to learn the basics. After that first class, something clicked and it all started to finally make sense. I went to my local library and borrowed as many crochet books as I could carry and started learning as much as I could.
(I wonder how many crocheters have similar paths? I’m holding my hand up, what about you?)
- How do you go about creating a new design from scratch?
I start with an idea of what I want to create. I’m not particularly skilled at drawing so I don’t do sketches often, unless I won’t be able to get to the idea for some time and need to remember it. I collect the materials I’ll need to match the vision of my idea as closely as possible and then set about creating it.
- What’s your favourite piece you’ve designed?
The answer to that question is constantly changing. When you’re always creating and striving to improve, you’re always finding a new favourite. My Otis the Owl and Seth the Sloth toys are probably two of my all-time favourites.
- How do you stay updated on crochet trends and techniques?
Social media is great for keeping up with trends, but to be really honest, I don’t try to keep up or create what’s trendy. I think the key to creating a lasting business is to create evergreen content that can stand the test of time or be ahead of the trends. If you’re jumping from trend to trend, by the time you’ve noticed that something is trending, you’re already behind. I usually create things that I want to make or that I think my audience will enjoy making.
(if you’re wanting to move away from a hobby to earning money, the takeaway from Ashley here is ‘creating a lasting business’ – you’ll always be chasing your tail if you jump from trend to trend. Thanks Ashley. And this leads us on to the next question 🙂 )
- How did you turn your crochet hobby into a business Ashley?
Friends and family encouraged me to sell my finished projects when I first started crocheting and after some time, I opened an Etsy shop. I quickly learned that I had no interest in making the same projects over and over again so I knew that wasn’t going to be a long-term thing for me. I found that I really enjoyed designing (though I didn’t know that’s what I was doing at the time) and researched ways to share my designs with others. Through that research, I learned you could make money designing and sharing designs so I created my blog and learned how to monetize it.
My journey led me to writing the book Crochet Furry Friends where I guide you in creating adorable faux fur amigurumi animals using my personal tips and tricks and adorable toy designs.
Find Ashley’s Ravelry shop here
- Do you have any tips with us for mastering complex stitches?
Practice and patience are key for learning new stitches/techniques as well as mastering them. No one sits down their first time and creates a super complex piece to perfection so you shouldn’t expect to do that either. Having patience will give you the space to practice which is what eventually leads to mastery.
- Do you organise crochet-alongs (CALs) or other community events? How can crocheters sign up to take part?
I do! I try to have at least 1 – 2 crochet alongs a year and sometimes even run year-long crochet alongs. To find out when I’m having them and how to sign up, I recommend signing up to my newsletter as those folks are always the first to know about them.
- What impact has crochet had on your life?
Crochet totally changed my life. It gave me a creative outlet when I was struggling with post-partum depression. Then after turning it into a business, it helped me to leave a job that was making me miserable enabling me to create a life that I love. While it is a TON of work (and ultimately, a lot less crocheting than you’d actually think), I love doing what I do and hope to continue to do this for years to come.
- Finally, what do you do when you’re not crocheting?
I read a lot, spend time with my kids and bake. I love to learn new things so I’m often working on learning something new.
Thank you for being my guest today Ashley.
Crochet Designer Bio
I’m a Canadian crochet designer and certified crochet instructor, dedicated to sharing my love for crochet with the world.
Over the years, I’ve independently published more than 200 unique crochet patterns, all of which I share for free on my blog, theloopylamb.com – many of which have step-by-step video tutorials.
I also share crochet product and book reviews to help makers get the answers to their questions before making buying decisions, to save them time and money.
You can follow me on social media through the links below: