crochet blog — Blog — Megmade with Love

Have you ever thought it’d be super cool if you could make a sweater, hat, or blanket all on your own? Not following a pattern or anything, just letting your mind work it’s magic and create something unique and all your own? Or maybe you’ve seen other designers come up with such cool pieces that you admire and think to yourself man, I wish I had that kind of talent! Then you start to think about it, and wonder where in the heck do you even begin? I get it. Jumping into a whole new project can be incredibly overwhelming. I’m sharing about how I got started, and how you, too, can take the first steps towards designing something all your own.

When I first entertained the idea of seriously becoming a crochet designer, I actually had a bit of history with design already. I had started a blog a couple years back, mostly me just dabbling with crochet patterns and sewing projects. While that first venture wasn’t serious, I did learn I had a knack for turning yarn into something my mind dreamt up. So when it came time to get serious with it and start up Megmade with Love, I had at least a tad bit of experience designing.

Something you should know, though, is that when I did start back up again— I didn’t know everything. My stitch knowledge was minimal, and if I’m bein’ real… I can recall not even knowing what a decrease was (gasp!). I just made projects work by simply experimenting. I studied lots of other patterns already published, got a gist of certain techniques, then went to the races with my new ideas. I’d take note of how someone else did it, then think now how can I do this my way? Or how can I make this better? Is there a different variation of stitches that I could put together to create a unique piece all my own?

I’d learn the stitch patterns for creating different sized hats, then try to throw in my own variation of stitches to create a hat all my own. Or I’d play around with different stitch combinations and textures, and that’s actually how the Textured Boho Cowl was created. And when I designed my first sweater, The Homebody Sweater, I experimented for hours with yarn, hook sizes and stitches to create the perfect simple and stylish sweater.

I’ve learned so much since first taking the plunge to designing, and I’d like to share what info I’ve gathered while on this journey. Below are some ideas I’ve brainstormed to help you get the ball rollin’ on your own design dreams…

Start with what’s familiar

it may be easiest when first trying to scheme up your own design when it’s something you have confidence and experience with. So if you’re the queen of crocheting beanies then designing a new hat would be a great place to start. Same goes if you’re into making amigurumi, clothes, blankets, etc. Because if you’ve been making these things, chances are you know the basics of how they are made— if there are stitches that are common for the types of thing you make or how the different shapes are formed. Plus it won’t seem as daunting when you won’t have to learn a complete new type of project along with designing it. And once you’ve conquered that first design that came to you like second nature, you’ll have confidence in the future to tackle more complex designs. While it’s easier to start with something you know, it’s certainly not bad to venture out into new ground though! Great things can happen by experimenting with new areas of the crochet realm. Plus you’ll learn what you like/are good at.

Make a sketch/plan

This isn’t always necessary, but it’s nice to give yourself a visual on paper of what you’re about to bring to life. Start by what it would look like completed (and I wouldn’t worry about it looking super pretty— my sketches are usually wack, definitely not blessed in the 2D area), then sketch out each of the different pieces would look like (if applicable). Mapping out the stitch sequence would also greatly aid you when planning out the design. You can also plan out color schemes, what stitch(es?) you’d like to include, what sort of yarn you want to use and any other materials you’d need.

Experiment

This is maybe my favorite part of the prep before jumping into your design. Experimenting with your yarn and different hooks is where the magic will happen. Decide what sort of drape you want your project to have— loose and flowy or sturdy and structured. Changing out the hook size will give you different amounts of drape. Play around with different stitch combinations—grab a stitch book or browse online for interesting stitches and swatch different ones up. You can play with texture and figure out what looks good with the type of yarn you’re using, plus the result you’re going for. And in this phase, you may find your plan for your design goes a completely different way! That happens to me all the time. That’s why this part is so fun to me!

Study

If you’re planning on designing something you’re familiar with making, you may have all the knowledge and “studying” done for your piece, but if not, you may need to take note of how certain things are created. To do so, you can look to other designers who have made similar items. For example, if you’re making a beanie, you’ll have to do a certain sequence of stitches to make a hat. So it’d be wise to study how others before you have done it and apply it to your experimentation. I’d look for multiple inspiration sources, and find the commonalities then play around with your own unique idea applying what you learned. I will say there is a big difference between looking for inspiration and copying, I would never condone copying another’s tactics— it’s just a groundwork for your own designs!

I think these couple of tactics will be a great start for your first design venture! Really, the thing is to just go for it. Creating stuff from absolute scratch is so rewarding… it fulfills such a creative desire for me personally and kinda sorta brings me life. I want you to feel that too!! If you’ve got some ideas swirling in your head, and you haven’t been sure where to start, pleeaaasse consider trying some of the tips above. The world needs your unique creations :)

Happy hooking (and maybe designing?)
Meg

My mom taught me to crochet at a pretty young age, I was about 10. When I was young, I loooovvvveed all things crafty, I made friendship bracelets and sold them to other kids at daycare, asked for *all* the art kits every birthday, and got my first sewing machine around the same time.

Honestly, growing up, crochet was just another craft I did. I just dabbled in it here and there, and didn’t really pay much mind to it compared to my other creative interests like photography or graphic design when I was in school. Then when I was in college I started to get into it a bit more. I found out about Ravelry about that time and enjoyed seeing other people create really cool things with yarn, so I decided I’d pick up my hook again and make a cool hat (Vicki Howell’s Urban Jungle Beanie to be exact). To my surprise friends and family loved the hat and wanted me to make them one.

I continued to venture into the land of crochet accessories, mostly just making them as gifts.. a few craft shows here and there. But there seemed to be a reoccurring theme with all the patterns I followed— I usually didn’t have the patience to follow the instructions given by someone else. I always wanted to venture off and try to tackle it myself… I truly enjoyed the journey of bringing an idea to life by experimenting with different stitches and yarns. I wanted to be the creator of a new favorite accessory, the process gave me life!

Then came my verrrrry first crochet design and pattern in 2011 (you can see it in the photo above— I’ve still got it!). I tell this story often over on Instagram, but I’ll share it again here.... I saw a photo of a really neat crocheted bag in an online store that had these raised “bump stitches” in the shape of diamonds on it and decided I needed to recreate it, and make a pattern for it since it was a pretty pricey bag. But what sweet little clueless Meg didn’t know at the time was that those “bump stitches” were indeed bobble stitches, that could be crocheted in the round. Yep, so I looked at that bag and thought.. hmm.. how would I create that effect? Why, by crocheting millions of little crochet pieces then sewing them all. on. individually. LOL! Thinking back to that pattern always cracks me up because of how straight up ridiculous that is. But I’m still kinda proud of myself for just tackling the task with what knowledge and skill I had at the moment. I started a little blog called “knot the knorm” and put that pattern on it, along with some other sewing projects I was doing at the time. The website didn’t survive (and I’m glad it didn’t because that pattern was probably ROUGH) mostly because I was in college and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life.

Fast forward quite a few years to 2016. Our son had just been born and I was looking for a way to earn some income online because I really valued staying at home and raising him. At the time I was making and painting wooden signs, and just wasn’t really enjoying it. I was craving something more… and right about that time I began to see really cool crochet designs on Pinterest and Facebook. It took me a few months of thinking and researching, but I eventually decided I’d become a crochet designer, and earn income via a website as well as selling the PDF patterns. The next year I started the Megmade with Love blog, crochet hook in hand and a crazy amount of inspiration to create patterns that people "*needed* to make.

With the teensiest bit of design experience under my belt, I decided to finally go for it. I crocheted a couple of hats, and with the help of some very patient testers, they gave me suggestions and thoughts on each of my designs. Was I a professional right out the gate? Definitely not. But I was learning some really valuable lessons while releasing patterns and I was actually getting my stuff out into the world. Slowly, after each pattern release, I became a little better and it became easier to put them all together. I was finding what I enjoyed making (what my “style” was) as well as what other people were diggin’.

I am so darn happy I decided to “just go for it” when it came to designing. I am 100% an advocate for just jumping in when maybe you don’t know everything or have everything figured out. I know if I never did, I’d be regretting it now… and I’d hate for someone else to have those feelings. I figured out all the particulars as I went, and I wonder if I spent more time researching or trying to figure out all those unknowns before starting I’d just be burnt out and end up not going for it. So if you’re thinking about taking the plunge into the world of crochet design, I beg you to take that next step into making it a reality. And if you find it’s not for you, that’s totally okay. You’ve learned something valuable about yourself and at least you won’t be thinking “what if?”

And that, folks, is my lil’ journey from being a crocheter to designing. Crochet designing really fulfills a deep creative desire for me, that I’m really grateful I get to do. It may not be for everyone, and I am in no way suggesting that everyone needs to be one. I just love sharing my journey on here with you, and hope to inspire others if they’ve got that itch, ya know?! If you have other questions about designing or blogging, leave them below in the comments. I love delving into this topic, so ask away... I’ll try to cover it in a future post. :)

Until next time,
Meg