Thanks to the Crochet Designer Community FB group I have found some amazing crochet pattern designers. This is how I got to know Marichen @ The Crochet Cottage. LOVE her designs! She has a wonderful eye for color.
What is your name, business name & where do you live?
My name is Marinchen Potterton and my business name is "The Crochet Cottage" and I live in Mosselbay, Western Cape, South Africa.
When/How did you learn to crochet?
I learned to crochet when I was 22 years old. My husband's grandmother taught me with the good old granny square.
What made you decide to start designing patterns?
I love to design anything, and my mom and I had a flower business together before she passed away and I couldn't keep up with it alone. So I decided in honor of my mom who passed away to cancer in 2020 that I would incorporate flowers into anything I design (she loved flowers), so I kept that promise and started my crochet business.
How would you say that your crochet designing has changed from when you started?
It has changed the way I see a lot of designers and their designs and the work that goes into it. So, with that said it has taught me alot from when I first started to where I am now. It takes a lot of patience, mathematics and faith in your designing process.
What’s your go-to yarn and crochet hook? Any particular reason why you prefer them?
My go to yarn is acrylic (because it's cheapest and easy to work with - especially if you're a beginner), and my favourite hook is basically any hook as long as it's got a comfortable grip to it.
What are some of your favorite crochet techniques/stitches/ patterns?
My favourite technique is the double magic circle and my favourite stitches are the double crochet and the puff stitches. You can do so much with those two stitches and it insantly gives a pattern new depths.
Are you a one-project-at-a-time person, or do you have a lot of WIPs on the go?
I am a person who has multiple WIP's going on at the same time. As my creativity flows I have to make something before I forget it or just to see how it would look as a designed piece.
What’s the process like when you design a crochet pattern? What are some words you would use to describe your patterns?
I usually start with a design in my head and immediately have to get it to paper and then design it. My patterns vary from beginner friendly to advanced.
Tell us about your favorite make or biggest crochet triumph?
My favourite make was my very first blanket I designed called "Cordelia - Jewel of the Ocean", it was a challenging one for me but I absolutely loved it.
Paying it forward, who are some of your favorite crochet designers/ bloggers?
My favourite has to be "Make and Do Crew by Jess Coppom, Coco Crochet Lee, The Floral Hook Workshop by Jen Tyler and Sandra Salas - Dimequesi Tejidos and Elise Rose Crochet"
Where can we find you online?
The Cottage Crochet Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thecottagejournals
The Cottage Crochet Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/982543572894590
The Cottage Crochet Etsy shop: https://thecrochetcottagesa.etsy.com
The Cottage Crochet Ravelry shop: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/marinchen-potterton
The Cottage Crochet YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarinchenPotterton
Thank you Marichen for a wonderful look into your business!
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