One of our favorite crochet designers, Emma Potter chats to us about her designs
Tell us about yourself – where do you live, and with who?
I live in Ascot with my husband, three year old daughter Betsy and our flat coated retriever Tilly.
How long have you been crocheting?
Just over four years.
How did you get into design?
By accident really, I had seen a scarf I liked but wasn't so keen on the stitch used so for the first time ever I decided to design something myself. This ended up being the Rebecca Scarf which I sent to Inside Crochet on a whim and they published it, the rest is history.
What’s a typical day like for you?
I know it's a cliché but the best thing about being freelance is that every day is completely different. Some days I will spend all my time designing/making but other (less exciting) days will be filled with website updates, writing up patterns, social media management. My favorite thing to do is crochet so I always try to find the time to do this.
How would you describe your design style?
My design style is bold and colorful with a hint of the 1970s about it (my favorite decade by a mile).
What has been your most popular design?
My most popular design has been the Bon Bon Baby Blanket made with gorgeous candy colored Rooster Almerino DK.
What sort of thing do you make for yourself?
I like anything bright, color blocked or striped. I just finished making a beautiful fan stitch cardigan from Anna Wilkinson's great book Learn to Crochet, Love to Crochet.
What are your favorite yarns or fibers to work with?
I love alpaca, it's so soft and easy to work with. I particularly like it mixed with other fibers (like merino or cashmere) because it gives it a smoother finish and more wearability.
What is your favorite thing about being a designer?
The opportunity to express myself, I feel like my designs reflect who I am and each time a new design pops in my head I think 'oh yeah, I can completely see where this is coming from'.
What inspires you?
I get my inspiration from all sorts of places but in particular from great art, especially illustration, clothing (especially vintage clothing) and even from the graffiti in my local park, seriously, the graffiti artists round my way have a great eye for color! I also love the crochet community on Instagram, so much talent and so many great ideas.
What do you have planned for 2016?
2016 is going to be fabulous. I have started running Cake & Crochet events with my cousin who owns a fantastic tea shop in Kent, plus I've just started video tutorials on YouTube because I think everyone should crochet and I want to show them how. I've also got loads of new patterns coming out!
If you want to keep up with all Emma's news and the stories behind her designs you can visit her website here. We also love browsing her Instagram feed.