I had a pleasure to interview Crochet by Darleen Hopkins, Darleen Hopkins
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| photo by Darleen Hopkins |
Here is the interview:
1. What
inspires you to design?
Everything.
An idea will just pop into my head and then will I try to figure out how I can
transform it into a crochet pattern. Or sometimes I get suggestions from
others. For example, my Patchwork Baby Kitty Blanket is one of
those. My youngest son suggested it. And he helped me with some of
the details as well. You can read about it here https://crochetbydarleenhopkins.com/2016/03/20/the-story-behind-the-baby-kitty-patchwork-throw-blanket-crochet-pattern/.
Sometimes
a need inspires me. For example I got tired of my tea getting cold at
work and decided I needed an individual mug cozy and voilà, the UNsqured Granny
Tea for ME! Mug Cozy was designed. https://crochetbydarleenhopkins.com/patterns/cozy-mug-tea-for-me-unsquared-granny/
A lot
of my designs are silly or whimsical. I have a goofy sense of humor and I
guess that comes out in what I like make.
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| photo by Darleen Hopkins |
2.If
you could knit/ crochet one thing - anything in the world what would that be?
Maybe
a temperature blanket or scarf or something with that theme. I love the
idea of it. I just haven't had the time to start one.
3. Describe
your ideal day as a designer, what would you do and what would you prefer not
to do?
I
would NOT work the J-O-B that I have to go to during the work week. I
would not cook or clean or do laundry or any other household chore. I
would sit in my favorite recliner or maybe out on my screened in porch, and I
would crochet and eat chocolate and drink coffee and listen to music. I'd
be able to crochet and work out the pattern for hours without my wrist or
forearms hurting. And I'd get great photos on the first try. That would
be an ideal designing day.
4. How
do you start a project, with yarn, pattern, idea or what?
Usually
I have an idea. I’ll sketch it out with colored pencils and then I'll
look to see if I have the right yarn in my stash. If not, I'll search the
web or go to yarn stores looking for the ideal yarn.
5.What
inspires you to pick up needles and start on the project?
If
I’m not too tired, I pick up a hook and get crocheting. No special
inspiration needed as I have so many ideas and/or projects going that there
will surely be something to interest me to work on, if I’m not too tired at the
end of the day. J
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| photo by Darleen Hopkins |
6. What
do you enjoy the most about the designing and what do you dislike the most?
I
LOVE seeing photos of finished projects made from my designs. Please! Send me
photos or post them to my Facebook page or make Ravelry projects with
photos. I LOVE it!!
What
I dislike the most is when people do not respect copyright. So much work
goes into publishing designs; whether it is for an online or in print
publication or a self-published pattern by an independent designer. Not respecting
designer copyright is just wrong. You wouldn’t walk into a store and
steal a $4 skein of yarn, so please don’t steal a designer’s patterns by
photocopying them and sharing them electronically.
7. Are
there any particular techniques you find challenging or impossible to work
with?
There
are a number of different crochet techniques I would like to try. Years
ago I tried broomstick lace and was unsuccessful with it. I'd like to
give it another try now that I'm more experienced. I think I was just too
new to crochet when I first tried. I would also like to try Tunisian
Crochet. I did a small swatch once but have never made anything using
that technique. Slip stitch crochet has also been a challenge to
me. But I have recently leaned there are special hooks for slip stitch
crochet. I didn't realize this when I first tried it. I'd like to
get one of those hooks and try it again.
8. What
is on your hook now?
I'm
currently working on a new design for a blanket. It's dog themed but
that's really all I can reveal at this time. :) I also have a couple of
Mother Bears started and in various WIP stages. I was hoping to finish
them before the end of the year. I'm not sure if that will happen but
I'll keep working on them as time allows. (http://motherbearproject.org/).
Another current project is my ongoing supply of dish cloths. I keep a bag with
dishcloth yarn and a hook. It is great to grab when I'm heading somewhere and
think I might have a few minutes to crochet. They are nice, small
projects that I can start and stop without having to worry about following a
pattern.
9. Do
you work on multiple projects at the same time or single project?
Oh my goodness, yes, lots of projects at once. I easily
get bored when working on one project so I keep many projects going at
once. Only when I’m either close to finishing a design or have a deadline
to meet do I concentrate on just one project.
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| photo by Darleen Hopkins |
10. Is there something else you would like to share with the readers?
Thank
you so much for interviewing me! My name is Darleen and I’ve been
designing almost as long as I have been crocheting. I first learned to
crochet was I was around 8 years old but it was short lived. I re-taught
myself in 2005. My first projects were potholders that I made without a
pattern. I was just “winging it” and although simple, they were my first
designs. Now I have almost 100 published designs with probably 10 times
as many ideas. Most of my patterns are self-published but I have worked
with a variety of professional publications, both in print and online.
I
started designing because I question everything. When I was working on a
pattern I’d be thinking, “what would happen if I did it this way?” or “how can
I adjust this to be bigger or smaller or whatever”. When crocheting I
found I always wanted to change what I was working on. Not that it needed
to change but I was curious how it would turn out if I adjusted it. I
also like to be challenged. Coming up with an idea and then figuring out
how to manipulate the stitches to transform that idea into an actual object
that could be touched was a challenge for me. Once I realized I could not
only come up with unique ideas but I could bring those ideas to life, I wanted
to be able to make it so others could duplicate what I created. And so I
started writing patterns. I believe the best part of designing is seeing
the finished objects others have made from my patterns. I get a rush
every time someone posts or sends me a photo of something they made from one of
my patterns.
Where to Find Darleen Hopkins:
Website/Blog: https://crochetbydarleenhopkins.com/
Instagram: JUST getting started- https://www.instagram.com/crochetbydarleenhopkins/
