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Craft Talkin'
Craft Talkin' with Lauren Willis [CT004]
Jamie and Merion meet the FABULOUS Lauren Willis, aka Manatee Squares, to chat about her new, gorgeous book, Filet Crochet to Wear, from David & Charles.
Loz, as she’s known, chats about her love of crochet, maths and her beloved lurchers, Wally and Roxy, and how filet crochet became a favourite technique.
This hilarious episode travels from Pokemon to dog grooming, via the trauma of making Instagram reels, taking photos of herself and her favourite colours - inclusive sizing, writing patterns, where to sell them and what has worked and what hasn’t. It’s a really illuminating chat if you love Lauren’s work, but also a great inspiration if you’re a crochet designer starting out!
You won’t be surprised that Merion is even more of a superfan by the end….
You can find Lauren on her website, Manatee Squares and on instagram here.
Timestamps:
00:00 From Pokémon to Filet Crochet
03:02 Embracing Inclusive Sizing
08:03 The Art of Fillet Crochet
24:47 Making Patterns Your Own
25:34 The Struggles of Taking Photos and Posing
26:31 Colour Preferences and Design Choices
28:19 Selling Patterns on Multiple Platforms
38:01 Insights from Dog Grooming
50:33 The Bond Between Dog Groomers and Dogs
51:07 Trends in the Dog Grooming Industry
54:09 The Origin of 'Manatee Squares'
58:42 Future Plans and Secret Projects
01:06:33 Favourite Ice Cream Flavours and Films
Don’t forget to subscribe to Craft Talkin’ and tell all your craft friends to do the same!
You can send us all your thoughts, suggestions and Dad jokes for Jamie to hello@crafttalkin.com
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