About Me & Crochet Design

As of 2004, I'm a full-time professional crochet thinker and tinkerer. I produce industry-standard crochet patterns, classes, articles, and other materials to promote crochet as many things: an art, hobby, learning tool, and practical medium. At first, 100% of my designs were produced for other publishers' books, magazines, and websites. This DesigningVashti blog dates from that time.

From about 2008 I've been moving toward publishing nearly 100% of my designs myself. This is where my new DesigningVashti pattern website comes in, in tandem with this blog. At the www.DesigningVashti.com website you can shop for my instantly downloadable crochet patterns and explore my helpful articles, archives, schedule of events, and more. If you'd like to know more about me, see the About Vashti page at my site, and see some of the interviews I've done that are available on the web.

If I were you, the first thing I'd do is sign up for my newsletter (it's free and is emailed every other Thursday). It's the best way to find out everything DesigningVashti-related: when I add new patterns to my site, post a sale, blog, teach, etc. You're also likely to learn something new and inspiring about crochet, because I try to write about what I don't see others writing about crochet. The Vashti's Crochet Inspirations Newsletter now has its own Facebook page. 

Weightless Tunisian Stole

Mesmer Scarf with Sequins

My primary goal is simply to see crochet do things I haven't already seen it do. For example, I'm inordinately pleased with how weightless Weightless is and how airy Mesmer is. The Lovepod Boa is a souvenir I brought back from fairyland.

Lovepods closeup

I wish I could display these in every yarn shop. In person, I thrill to the wonderstruck looks on the faces of those who haven't seen crochet like this. I'm discovering that I lack enough photography skills to really capture the ethereal quality possible with crochet.

It's important to me to help correct existing perceptions of crochet; seems it's seldom perceived accurately or fairly. Maybe because it's relatively young as hand-created fabrics go; or maybe it isn't and we don't have enough information to know for sure. There are probably as many theories as there are people who puzzle over why crochet is blithely misperceived and chronically underestimated.

The single most underestimated crochet stitch would have to be the slip stitch! And yet, some of the slinkiest, butter-pat-meltingest fabric I've created with my own hands is slip stitch fabric. Slip stitches are also responsible for the stretchiest tube scarf I've ever crocheted (Mr. Stretchy). It's so stretchy that it stretches open to wear as a hood or collapses lengthwise into a long scarf.

Digital publishing is so important for crochet. Perhaps the best illustration of this is the kind of crochet designing Doris Chan is so well known for: top-down, seamless in the round construction. It's a process of sculpting a flattering 3-dimensional garment from the very start. The way the stitches flow from the crochet hook results in a garment with fluid drape that flows over any body shape like a waterfall.

I feature Doris Chan's crochet patterns on my website because Doris and I can add the online resources that help to make these amazing crochet designs more accessible to more crocheters.

Happy crocheting!