In this post, we interview Michael Sellick of The Crochet Crowd! We are so overjoyed that Mikey is our designer for our Q2 Crochet Club project! He will also be at this year's JBW Retreat!
1. Why did you start designing patterns?
You learn to tweak ideas that you see over time to suit your own purposes. I came to realize others wanted to share in my ideas and the only way to do that was to be strategic to write things down and present it back out to the public as an optional pattern. I love the mathematics. Theory converting to tangible and tweaking the projects along the way.
2. What was the first pattern that you designed?
Over the years, I wrote miniature patterns but my first real design was the Stitch, Stop and Roll Afghan. I prefer my deals to be complex and skill building generally. It would be the first design where a company was interested in my creativity beyond myself self publishing my own work.
3. Where do you find your inspiration for your patterns?
You find inspiration in what people find of interest in the social media. Asking yourself, ‘What if’ questions. Like the other night, I was self designing while at my stitch night. People were asking me how I know the next line of the pattern. I tell them I really don’t. You decide and the afghan will tell you through visual what it’s missing or needing.
4. Is there any particular pattern that has a special meaning to you?
The Study of Texture is one of my favourites of all time. Thousands of people have made my afghan and expressed their love of learning something new. Watching others build their skills in real-time gives me unlimited joy.
5. Would you describe how you feel when you see someone making/wearing your designs?
I feel a sense of pride when people put trust in me and my design to want to try it. I feel like a small peice of me went beyond my computer and into the hands of another person.
6. What are some signature features of your designs?
For afghans, I finish most afghans in the same stitch. I also love raised textures in my work. Texture is fun to try to achieve. Most of the projects I am known for involve texture.
7. Are there any “rituals” that you might have while designing patterns?
When designing, I stay offline. I turn on the TV for background noise and lose myself in the project. I write as I go, tweak as I go… and hopefully by the end of the time frame I have something I can put my name on. Other times, I may not succeed but I save for later.
9. Is there any advice you would give to new designers or those wanting to start designing patterns?
Design what you love. Be conscious that it may not be something you would use. Design with other’s who may stumble across the design in mind. Stay on a budget for the design. I tend to put a dollar amount on the table and design within that price point.
10. What’s on your needles/crochet hooks now?
I have the 9 Months of Squares in process. Details coming in April.
11. Where’s the craziest place you’ve ever knitted?
I wouldn’t define any places I have crocheted at. I have crocheted in malls, cars, parks, heritage parks, Disney World, Cruise Ships or retail stores. For 2020, we are expecting to take a plane ride to the Arctic Circle. I want to take my crochet just to say I crocheted in the Arctic Circle.
What has been potentially life threatening is crocheting while Daniel does heavy duty landscaping. He’s sweating his butt off and I am in the shade whipping through my yarn. When asked to go get him water, I roll my eyes and say fine!
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