As we near ever closer to our fair we still have lots to tell you about our stall holders! Today we speak to Stiff Stitches – Crochet Emporium. Find out more about her lovely wooly creations…
“I love taking a load of wool, buttons and so on, and creating something with it’s own personality. When it goes right, there is a magic moment where any doubt disappears and you fall a little bit in love with what you are making.”– Stiff Stitches
Tell us a bit about you and what you do/ make….
I learned to crochet last November and to say I became instantly hooked is an understatement (as well as a bad pun). Now I am never happier than when crocheting with a cup of tea, maybe with an episode of Poirot or Gardener’s World for company (I may be 35 but I’m not above falling asleep on the sofa while listening to the wireless). I have dabbled in various things – baby blankets & booties, hats, bags etc, but my main products are cushions and Amigurumi – small crochet characters ranging from sea creatures to Stormtroopers.
How would you describe your style?
Colourful and wooly.
How long have you been making your craft items?
About nine months. A friend of mine showed me how to crochet a flower and I literally couldn’t stop from then on…it felt like a language I already knew but had forgotten!! Crochet makes perfect sense to me and so far it seems that there is no limit to what can be made with yarn and a crochet hook!
Do you have a best seller? If so what is it?
Poirot, the Belgian detective, definitely. I made the first one as a birthday present for my Poirot-loving friend, in April. Since then I have had loads of requests from family and friends, and have had orders via facebook and Etsy from all over the place – Scotland, Illinois…bizarre but brilliant to discover a worldwide network of Poirot admirers!! And I love making him – each one is different to the last but every time, he is unmistakeably Hercule Poirot :0)
What do you enjoy most about your craft?
I love taking a load of wool, buttons and so on, and creating something with it’s own personality. When it goes right, there is a magic moment where any doubt disappears and you fall a little bit in love with what you are making. I actually felt quite sad putting the most recent Poirot in a jiffy bag to send away!! But I love knowing that my little creations are going to someone who will enjoy them.
Do you take part in other craft events (fairs, open houses, markets etc…)?
My main source for commissions is via my Etsy shop (Stiff Stitches) and my facebook page (Snorkers Imaginarium, just to confuse you), but I will definitely be looking into more events following on from the Fairytale Fair.
What products/ items will you be selling at The Fairy Tale Fair?
A big pile of squodgy cushions and a selection of amigurumi characters. Lots of octopii 🙂
What are your plans/ ambitions for the future? Or have you already achieved them?
I am working on an idea for a book of patterns (top secret!) and would like to set up my own online shop at some point. Other than this, it’s all about new ideas – crochet being a somewhat slow process, I have a list of ideas that I haven’t got around to trying yet – my next new project is going to be a Penguin Classics inspired book-style Kindle cover – watch my website www.stiffstitches.com or check my facebook page for first glimpse!
Any other comments you wish to make:
I’m really looking forward to the Fairytale Fair – the other stalls look so colourful and vibrant – it will be great to see what everyone is up to and hopefully try some of that famous glittery candy floss I keep hearing about!!
We can’t wait to welcome Stiff Stitches and her colourful wooly creations at The Fairy Tale Fair!
