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National Crochet Month:
Welcome to Crochetville’s third annual Designer Blog Tour, taking place all throughout March 2015 in celebration of National Crochet Month (NatCroMo). Each day on our blog, you will find 1) in-depth profile posts for two crochet designers, with a link to their blogs so you can see what specials (free patterns, discount coupon codes, tutorials, etc.) they may be offering for NatCroMo, 2) a daily giveaway post with entries open from 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST the following day, and 3) during the last week of the month, daily posts from a Crochet Guild of America board member. Join us each day for a new surprise!
Today’s Posts: Phyllis Serbes, Many Creative Gifts | Anastacia Zittel, Anastacia Knits Designs | Daily Giveaway | Halos of Hope Hat Collection | Complete Designer Schedule
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Phyllis Serbes, Many Creative Gifts
Crochetville is very proud to have designer Phyllis Serbes of Many Creative Gifts with us today, March 6, as one of the featured designers on our 2015 Designer Blog Tour in honor of National Crochet Month (NatCroMo).
Three Truths and a Lie:
Take a guess as to which of the following statements isn’t true. We’ll let you know which statement is “The Lie” somewhere in this post, so keep reading to learn the truth!
- Phyllis crocheted a custom-designed axolotl for a Canadian girl who lost her pet axolotl and asked Phyllis to recreate him in crochet.
- Phyllis once crocheted for 28 hours straight so she wouldn’t miss an important deadline.
- The 10th anniversary of Many Creative Gifts is coming up in April.
- Phyllis sponsors the DC Rollergirls.
Phyllis’s Designs:
If you’re not familiar with her work already, we’d like to share two of Phyllis’s designs with you.
Clownie the Crocheted Clown Doll, available for $4.95 on Ravelry
Beaded Turkish Bracelets, available on Ravelry for $2.95
About Phyllis:
Phyllis was lucky enough to have two crochet teachers when she was young. Her favorite sixth grade teacher taught her the fundamentals of crochet while her aunt taught her how to make Barbie clothes. Phyllis thinks her first crochet project was a multicolored scarf made with single crochet stitches in the back loops only, with the addition of some pretty groovy fringe as well.
When some of her friends were having babies in the early 2000s, Phyllis decided to make little booties and hats as gifts. She received a lot of compliments and requests, which led her to join Etsy in 2005 and begin filling all sorts of custom orders through the “alchemy” board, including a custom-made crocheted axolotl.
Her husband asked her why she didn’t write down the instructions for her designs so she could also sell her pattern over and over again. She decided he had a point, so she began writing patterns. Ravelry was just getting started about the same time, so she opened a Ravelry pattern shop, started blogging, and started teaching crochet at her local yarn store. She was fortunate to have some of her designs published in a new UK magazine called Inside Crochet.
In addition to her crochet work, Phyllis also enjoys knitting. She also loves the idea of learning how to dye and spin her own yarn.
About Her Design Process:
I should be more methodical in my approach to design, but sometimes I start with the yarn, sometimes I feel like using a certain size hook, or I have a particular item in mind. I just keep experimenting until what’s on my hook looks like what I see in my mind’s eye.
Prediction about the Next Big Crochet Trend:
I think it will be designs that combine crochet and knitting or crochet and fabric.
Some of Phyllis’s Favorites:
Favorite Designer: Any time I see a design that I really love and keep going back to, it seems to be one of Robyn Chachula’s works!
Favorite Hook: Boye
Favorite Yarn: 100% mercerized cotton in DK weight
Favorite Thing to Crochet: Little baby hats
Visit Phyllis’s Blog: NatCroMo FREEBIE Sneak Peek
You will definitely want to visit Phyllis’s blog post today! She plans to give away the patterns for three tiny squares for FREE for a limited time only. She may also be giving away some other little goodies, but you’ll need to visit her blog to find out just what!
The Truth:
Phyllis may not have crocheted for 28 hours straight, but she has indeed crocheted an axolotl.
Find Phyllis Online:
Ravelry: manycreativegifts
Many Creative Gifts website: http://www.manycreativegifts.com
Many Creative Gifts blog: http://www.manycreativegifts.blogspot.com
Ravelry Designer Page: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/phyllis-serbes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/manycreativegifts
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PhyllisofMCG
Craftsy: http://www.craftsy.com/user/354164/pattern-store
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/phyllisofmcg/
Additional Blog Tour Information:
Links to All the Info
I love crocheting jewelry. Your bracelets are beautiful!
I loved the 10 things to love about crochet on your blog. I didn’t realize there were so many fellow hookers out there.
I would love to see the pictures of the axolotl .
Very interesting! Always nice to get to know a new crochet designer. 🙂
the clowns are very cute; i had not seen any like that
I am really enjoying these features on designers I wasn’t aware of! Now I need to go Google axolotl. 😀
I like crocheting a variety of things, too.
Love learning about fellow crochet designers.
Cute bracelets!
I would love to see what the axolotl looks like!!!
My first project was also a scarf!
Not sure what an axolotl is but we all get some strange requests from time to time. Mine was a goat. A lady sent me a picture of her grandson’s favorite goat and wanted a hat so her grandson and the goat could be twins. She got it. 🙂
Love the 3 truths & a lie!
Very nice work!!
I’m not familiar with Phyllis but her designs are beautiful.
Thanks!
Thank you for this post. I always love finding new designers!
Can’t wait to see all of the squares. Love the clowns
I’d love to know the why’s behind the axolotl but it makes me wonder now if I could do a green anole for my son…
Looking forward to seeing the rest of her tiny squares and what she does with them!
Beautiful designs, I love clownie!
I love the clown doll!
I love the crocheted dolls.
I’ve seen so many combo instructions too
I would love to learn yarn dyeing as well!
I like the tiny square pattern!
OOh, I like the Beaded Turkish Bracelet. I see it was published in Inside Crochet, so I will have to dig out that issue. I have managed to collect all their issues.
I’m very curious as to who or what axolotl is.. off to Wikipedia I go