A Crochet Ninja with a Home Made Hair Rollers Pattern

Hi, My name is Maggie Vassie and I am a guest blogger for Marie's Cozy Corner this week. Some of you may know me from my blog, A Crochet Ninja where I wax lyrical about the wool related antics in my life and some of you may know me from my patterns being featured in the UK crochet magazine Inside Crochet, but most of you will probably have no idea who I am so I thought I would blog about how I went from being a casual crocheter to freelance designer.

I have been crocheting for about 8years. My granny taught me how to make granny squares and she said a few weeks ago, “who would have thought that something I taught you to keep you amused for an afternoon would turn into this”

So it all started with a humble granny square, then searching on the net to learn how to do other stitches, getting books from the library and trawling sites like Crochet Pattern Central for the beginners patterns. I’ll admit it was a slow process because there was no one else to share the hobby with (granny lives in Scotland, me in the south of England) I can see through pictures how my work has progressed through the years. Its funny to see how I used to use the cheapest yarn possible and now my yarn fetish is out of control but I suppose that is the natural progressing of any hobby. That and getting “Knit Fast, Die Warm” tattooed on my leg. I‘m a tattoo kind of person and I love this one because it is so me, people who don’t know me personally will know me as the girl that crochets, it’s a part of my personality now.
I saw a quote once that could not be more appropriate to my crocheting lifestyle:
“First you do it for the love, then for your friends and then for the money, That’s why the call us hookers.”
I used to be so adamant that I didn’t want to sell what I made. I felt that putting a price on what I made cheapened what I did. People would tell me that I should sell my Amigurumi, and that I would make loads, but they don’t see the hours of work that go into it. What was worse was people saying “oh! That’s cool, make me one, I can pay you for it”
That drove me crazy, I don’t poop these things out, it takes so much time and effort, if I make you something it’s because you are my friend and I want to spend the time to make you something special not because you can offer me a few quid. I think that is why designing for the magazine worked out so well for me. All I did was write to the editor of the magazine saying “this is what I do, can I work for you?” and they loved it. They send me an email every few months with the themes for the next few issues and I work around them. I’m so thrilled with getting my patterns in print and there are so many bonuses as well, they usually provide the yarn for the project, they keep the final project but I get to keep the left over yarn which is often the best quality they can get hold of and I also get a free copy of the magazine if I am in that issue, not to mention all of the shameless plugging of my site (he he)
I had been put off of selling my things on line for so long, I thought it was so impersonal but I have to admit that I have been turned around on this idea after much research and consideration I will be opening an etsy store in the New Year and staring to write some of the patterns for my book. I am now very much in the frame of mind that if you are good at something, don’t do it for free… Well that’s a lie…. I have set up a stitch and bitch group with the roller derby team to make woollen goods for homeless animal and humans etc, maybe I need to rethink my mantra.
I am currently working on making my Christmas presents, so every free second is spent with hook in my hand. This year I have discovered the wonders of Cowls, they are the perfect gift, modern, fashionable and unisex and most importantly really easy to make.
Well what are my final points for this crochet rant?

• Stick with it, it takes a long time refine you skills
• Do it for the love of crochet
• Tattoos are awesome
• Have an appropriate mantra

I thought I would share with you a pattern that is perfect for the Christmas season with all the parties and things going on; home made hair rollers. I designed these a while ago for my friend Sally as I don’t have enough hair to warrant any curling.

I used Rowan milk cotton and stuffed them with cotton wool so that if you use them with wet hair they are nice and absorbent. You simply wrap your hair around the fat part, roll it up and tie the strings together, then wait.

You will need:

DK cotton yarn

3.5mm hook

cotton wool

stitch marker

Ch20

R1: 6dc in 2nd chain from hook

R2: inc in every st around (12dc)

R3-14: sc around

STUFF

R15: dec around untill closed

Ch20

Roll in hands to spread cotton wool evenly and Enjoy :)


Thank you Maggie, I am so exicited that you were my guest blogger. your amazing. I can't wait to make this. I am always curling my hair and this looks like a great way to not only save money but also a great way to do your hair. If you have not stopped by her Blog, I hope you do now. Thanks again Maggie. I'll be stopping by shortly. :)