2017 NatCroMo Blog Tour, March 7: Amber Millard

A-Glamping We Will Go: 5th Annual National Crochet Month Blog Tour

Welcome to Crochetville’s fifth annual National Crochet Month (NatCroMo) blog tour, taking place each day of March 2017. Join us for a month of virtual glamping (aka glamorous camping), as we visit crochet designers, crochet-friendly local yarn stores, and yarn companies, as well as offer some fun giveaways.

Today’s Posts: Ann Mancini-Williams | Jennifer E. Ryan | Amber Millard | Anzula Yarn | Daily Giveaway

Want to Chat about the Tour?

Part of the fun of glamping is the daily round-up around the campfire, chatting and stitching with friends. We hope you’ll join us in our NatCroMo Facebook group, where we’ll be sharing daily camping recipes, campfire songs about crochet, and so much more! We’d also love to hear about your favorite things you’ve discovered on the tour and see photos of your current crochet projects. You’re invited to join us daily for virtual cocktails/appetizers and dinner. (We’ll be sharing links to some fabulous recipes!)

[button-blue url=”https://www.facebook.com/groups/nationalcrochetmonth/” target=”_blank” position=”center”]Facebook: Click Here[/button-blue]

Amber Millard, Divine Debris

Amber Millard | Divine Debris

Crochetville is very proud to have designer Amber Millard of Divine Debris with us today, March 7, as one of the featured designers on our 2017 Designer Blog Tour in honor of National Crochet Month (NatCroMo). If you’d like to know even more about Amber, check out our post from last year’s blog tour.

About Amber:

Amber Millard is the designer behind Divine Debris. Although she was taught to crochet as a child, she didn’t pick up a hook again until she began working at a craft store about 5 years ago. The inspiration for her designs comes from just about everything, including crochet stitches and popular trends in clothing and jewelry fashion, but most importantly her perpetually filled coffee cup. In what began as the rediscovering of a long-forgotten hobby, for Amber, Divine Debris has become a fun, at times exhausting, but ultimately a very rewarding blogging/ business venture.

Do you crochet in public? If so, when and where?

On occasion, especially if I know I’m going to be waiting. I will take a current project with me and sit in a waiting room or even at a restaurant waiting for a friend to shop up. I do like to crochet in the car when my husband is driving and we’ll be on the road for at least an hour, I find it a good use of the time I’d otherwise be using to snack on junk food.

Do you have a special place at home where you crochet? Tell us about it.

I usually crochet on the couch in the living room. I like to spread out, take up too much space, and play around with yarn or thread or whatever until I find what I like. The couch is comfortable, lived-in now, and I get to watch tv/ listen to tv and it’s equidistant from the kitchen and bathroom.

Share the story of your favorite thing you’ve ever crocheted or designed.

Amber Millard | Divine Debris | Sally Skulls Bag

My favorite design is probably my Sally Skulls Bags pattern. I was still pretty new to designing tapestry patterns when I made it and the response was so good, so positive and while I had a couple other tapestry designs under my belt, this one motivated me to keep making tapestry patterns. And it’s one of my favorite project bags, so when I take it with me when I leave the house people still compliment it and that makes me smile.

Tell us about any other fiber-related hobbies you enjoy.

I don’t know if I have any other fiber-related hobbies. I paint, read, and draw on occasion but as far as fiber, crochet is queen.

How do you decide what to name your patterns?

I love alliteration and when I designing something, like the skull bag, I go with something it reminds me of. I took the name Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas, because the skull reminded me of Jack Skellington, but because I use primarily female sounding names, I went with Sally and it was alliteration, so it was a win for my own naming convention.

Tell us about your most popular pattern.

Amber Millard | Divine Debris | Gretchen Gradient Cowl

Last year my most popular pattern was one of the last ones I released, the Gretchen Gradient Cowl. It’s a convertible cowl and so you could wear it as a cowl scarf, a hat, or even one of the very popular pony-tail hats. I think that’s what won people over, because I released it during the pony-tail hat craze last year.
It was also the first time I used the slip single crochet stitch and I was very excited to release it, so I think people felt that excitement.

Tell us about your favorite camping location.

I actual don’t have one! I hate camping and I cannot stand bugs. I don’t think I’d last very long at all in a zombie apocalypse.

What is your favorite camping tip?

If I must go, I have to bring a brand new bottle of wine. 😀

What is your favorite camping snack/meal/recipe?

While I have a deep aversion to camping, I actually love smores. If I get a wicked craving for them, I’ll even make some in the oven. But I will admit, toasted marshmallows over a lovely fire is pretty heavenly.

Tell us about any crochet items you take to “glam up” your camping experience.

Ooh, a pretty vest would probably really glam up camping. 😀 Perhaps I could design one someday for such a purpose.

Visit Amber’s Site: NatCroMo Specials

Amber Millard | Divine Debris | NatCroMo Special

I will be releasing a new pattern that will be free on my blog. Click the link above the photo to get the FREE pattern.

Amber’s Designs:

If you’re not familiar with my work already, I’d like to share three of my designs with you.

Amber Millard | Divine Debris | Trixie Triangles Bag

1. Trixie Triangles Bag, $5.00

I love this bag, it’s one of my favorite designs I’ve made. I love the geometric shapes that seem like they’re fighting for supremacy in when you look at it. This design is a great example of why I love working with the tapestry technique, you can create visually stunning and challenging designs that look complicated but once you get the technique down, they really aren’t.

Amber Millard | Divine Debris | Luna Shawl

2. Luna Shawl, $4.00

This was my first half-moon shaped shawl design, hence the Luna name. I love the movement and size of this shawl alone, which is deceptively warm, despite its many holes. I wanted to make a design that is intricate, where each proceeding row builds on the last while adding to it.

Amber Millard | Divine Debris | Linda Burger Bag

3. Linda Burger Bag, $5.00

I wanted to include this design because it’s just so silly and shows how much fun you can have with tapestry crochet. In this pattern I wanted to channel one of my favorite shows, Bob’s Burgers, and encourage creativity in a design. This pattern comes with instructions on 8 different panels for the sides and tips on how to really make each bag you make unique.