Nicolle -Mama Designer of Cute Baby Blankets

Nicolle is a fellow mama designer and has designed some amazing crochet baby blankets. One thing I love about her work is that it is always so neat! Her focus is on DIY with a simple and timeless touch.

Nicolle is a fellow mama designer and has designed some amazing crochet baby blankets. One thing I love about her work is that it is always so neat! Her focus is on DIY with a simple and timeless touch.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your business.

On the mom side of things, I have 2 kids (1.5 and almost 3). I am a veteran and my husband is still in the AF, so we move around a lot. It’s a challenge to parent without family around. So that’s a big part of things too. I’m a meteorologist by trade, and kind of as a tangent to that I’m a huge Earth lover and maybe a little bit of a tree hugger. I just started blogging regularly this past year, mostly crochet inspiration & patterns but also some other DIY things (I’m kinda big on holistic stuff). Baby blankets are my jam though! My patterns are available in my Etsy/Ravelry shops, but I don’t sell finished products because I don’t have the time! However I do have a life goal of doing a craft fair.

How many years have you been knitting/crocheting for?

I’ve been crocheting for a little over 20 years, which makes me sound really old, ha! When I was 11 years old, I learned from my grandfather’s wife. I made a blanket for my baby cousin, which I actually saw in recent years and and let me tell you it’s pretty horrific! But I’m honored that she kept it. She’s in college now. My friend taught me to knit a few years ago, but I haven’t explored that too much yet.

What are your current WIPs?

Always so many – I’ve been working on All About Ami’s Granite Cape for almost 3 years now! It’s almost done :). I mostly like to come up with my own stuff though. I’m working on a new baby blanket, a blanket for a friend’s May baby, and a temperature blanket that will represent my daughter’s first year of life. Clearly my fave thing is making baby blankets!. There is also a half finished throw blanket that honestly I probably won’t pick up again until Fall.

What is your favorite thing to design and why (Spoiler alert: it’s baby blankets)?

Blankets are really my jam. I especially love baby blankets, because I love trying to incorporate the receiver’s nursery theme and personality, etc. Since blankets are just simple rectangles, they are like a blank canvas and a challenge for making something interesting and worthy.

What are your goals for this year?

I want to put out 10 new crochet patterns. I’m working furiously on creating the projects now before I get more busy with the kids. So far I’ve put out 2, have 4 in progress and 4 more planned out. Most are blankets 🙂 I hope I can get to them all!

How do you balance mom-life and making?

This is a huge challenge and the reason I’ve been working on my Granite Cape for almost 3 years. My son is almost 3…coincidence? lol. There are a few things I’ve realized recently though. First, if you want something bad enough you will make time for it. Maybe “find” time is the better answer. I literally carry my project bag around the house with me, and the moment my kids are playing self sufficiently (and not wrestling each other) I pull it out and make some progress. It also helps when I bring it with me everywhere I go because car naps are a real thing with my 1 yr old.

Also, I know I need to be intentional with my time and not go down the rabbit hole on Instagram or get caught up with the TV. That’s time that can be used effectively to get things done. It’s also important to have intentional rest time. I’m a huge introvert and I neeeeed to rest. I’m also 30 weeks pregnant – yikes. What I still need to work on is balance. Balance is a big one for me. Trying to balance the “work at home thing” and dedicating time to work while trying to be an attentive parent is challenging . Mom life comes with so much guilt, so I try to make sure I’m not taking away from my job being a stay at home mom. Some days I just don’t get to do what I want but that’s life (preaching to myself here!).

One piece of advice for fellow mama makers?

Just be understanding of your limits. It’s true that you can make this work, but maybe you won’t grow quite as fast as you want to, or maybe you’ll have a lot of setbacks. But that’s okay. Your priority is your family. Don’t make excuses for not reaching goals, but give yourself some grace because momming isn’t easy and you’re doing the best you can.

Here is one of Nicolle’s beautiful baby blankets. This is called the “Sweet Georgia” baby blanket, which she made for a Georgia girl. It’s an infinite granny square with a scalloped border and ribbon/bow, and definitely has an heirloom quality to it. She loves the intricacy of it while still having a timeless feel to it. This was the first baby blanket she made after taking a long hiatus moving to Germany and having kids, and it’s extra special to her because the mama she made it for had tried long and hard for her baby girl. You can find this pattern on her blog and in her Etsy shop.

You can find Nicolle on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog. Find her patterns in her Etsy and Ravelry shops!

You can find a recording of the Live that I did with Nicolle here!

If you are a mama designer and/or a poc designer and would like to join me for a Live interview and be featured, you can fill out the form here.

Knitting and Crochet Pattern Designing as POC and Moms

I think my biggest struggle as a POC  knitting and crochet pattern designer and mom is the level of effort I have to put in for my work to be seen. So I'm planning an Instagram Live series where us POCs and moms can talk about real-life making! Fill out the form if you're interested! I can't wait to hear from you!
Here I am sporting the Tunisian Knit Cardi designed by Kelsey of @Happily.Yarn.After over an awesome graphic tee designed by Saiqa of @SewChickhybySai

Happy Valentines Day to all my fellow knitting and crochet pattern designers!

This Valentines Day I want to share what’s been in my heart and mind for the past few weeks. I know there is a discussion happening around racism within our maker community. I feel for fellow POC knitting and crochet pattern designers who directly and indirectly had to deal with injustice. My heart goes out to you. That being said, I’ve been very fortunate and have been treated very nicely by fellow makers regardless of race. Ever since I started this journey on Instagram, I’ve felt such a strong sense of community. Everyone has always been kind and helpful. However, I experience issues daily because I am a POC and mom in this community of knitting and crochet designers.

Knitting and Crochet Pattern Designing as a POC

As a POC knitting and crochet pattern designer, I have to show up more on social media to be seen. I have to work twice as hard to be noticed by large companies. My own voice has to be louder because many bloggers in this community do not look or sound like me.

Knitting and Crochet Pattern Designing as a Mom

As a mom, I also struggle to keep up with pattern designing. It’s hard to find a balance since real-life duties take priority. Adulting usually involves cooking, laundry, cleaning, and dealing with my temperamental toddler and all his growing needs. Often my crochet and knitting designs take an entire month or two to become a reality. Yes, even the simple accessories. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way!

Here’s my solution for helping all of us gain more visibility and have a powerful voice in the maker community. I want to have a Sip’N’Stitch type Instagram Live every week with a fellow POC knitting or crochet designer. Knitting moms and crochet moms (regardless of background) are also invited for these Live series. We can discuss all things knitting and crochet pattern designing as moms and/or POC.

Benefits of doing this Live series

  • More eyes on our content: My followers will get to know you and see your content and your followers will get to know me and see my content.
  • Increase our chance of collaboration while fostering a sense of community and togetherness.
  • Make more friends in the maker community – this is one of my main inspirations for starting this series, it gets lonely especially as a mom!
  • A chance for us to share knowledge, resources, and our experiences so we can grow our businesses/brands.

My intention is to be inclusive and inspire fellow POC and mom knitting and crochet designers. One way to do this is by having real-time conversations about real-life making.

If you’re interested you can fill out the form below so I can get a better idea of who you are and what your brand is all about! I can’t wait to hear from you!

POC Makers/ Mama Makers Live Series Form

If you have any questions about this series please e-mail me at [email protected].

If you’re looking for a new wip, you can enjoy my free Tunisian Sweetheart Scarf Pattern here.

Knit and crochet patterns for children – Why I want to design

Knit and Crochet Patterns for Children – The Journey 

I initially opened up shop to sell my finished knitted and crocheted pieces (read more about that here) but never really thought about where it would take me. Over the course of this past year, I have learned so much about the Fiber Arts industry/community. I have learned even more about myself and what my true passion is when it comes to working with all things yarn. My heart is in creating unique knit and crochet patterns for children. 

My contribution to last year's Little Hats Big Hearts Campaing held by the American Heart Association. These hats were made using free knit and crochet patterns.
Here’s my contribution to last year’s Little Hats Big Hearts Campaign held by the American Heart Association!

Knit and Crochet Patterns for Children – The Heart of the Matter

I want to capture all that childhood brings with it and put it out into the world as knit and crochet patterns! I want to be the source of inspiration for other mama-makers to make cute things for her little ones. Something that is fun and exciting for her and will end in a finished piece that she can wrap her little ones in with cozy handmade love. I want this to be true whether she has infants, toddlers, or older children.

Most importantly, as a mom, I know how hard it can be to convince ourselves to take pictures. Matching with my toddler gives me a big reason to smile and get in front of the camera. I want to be that reason for my fellow mama-makers to proudly get in the frame with their little ones!

Knit and Crochet Patterns for Children – Are you Ready to Join Me?

So fellow mama-makers, are you ready to make all the cute things for your lil’ bug(s)?!

Here are Amy and Josie sporting their Mommy and Me set of Butterflies Fluttering by Ear Warmers! How adorable do they look?! Get the PDF pattern on Ravelry or Etsy

Amy and Josie posing with their matching mommy and me set of Butterflies Fluttering By Ear Warmers. Follow along for more Knit and crochet patterns.
Amy and Josie looking adorable in my first published knitting pattern: The Butterflies Fluttering By Ear Warmer pattern available on Etsy and Ravelry!