Blog we love

Sandra Paul - www.cherryheart.co.uk

Tell us about yourself…
I’m Sandra and I’m lucky enough to be a stay-at-home-Mum of a little girl.
Along with my husband, we live in a small village in Bedfordshire. I do the usual household things during the day, and try to keep up with the garden but I do spend a good amount of my time crafting, writing my blog and working on new designs and pattern ideas.

How long have you been blogging?
It’s been over four years now. I started the blog back in 2009, but really I didn’t do much with it at all. Then in 2011 I decided that I would actually start posting regularly and put a little more effort in!

What inspired you to start blogging?
When I started following other people’s blogs, it was like a whole other world had opened up full of beautiful, inspirational and creative makes. I wanted tobecome a part of that community. I was always quite good on the computer and I loved making things so just thought to myself, “I think I could do that too.”

Have you made friends through blogging?
I have! It’s not something I really expected when I started. I wanted
to connect with like-minded people who understood my giddy excitement about a new ball of yarn, for example. But I’ve formed some friendships with some very lovely people.

How did you learn to crochet?
It came very soon after I started knitting again.
After the first few visits to craft shops I discovered all these gorgeous things that I wanted to make, only to find they were crocheted and not knitted. So I decided to teach myself. That day I
came home with a beginners’ crochet book and a hook, and sat down for a frustrating evening of twisted fingers.
Luckily my sister encouraged me to persevere and by the end of the evening I had something that resembled a granny square – and I was off.

How did you start designing?
I’d always set out looking for a pattern with an idea of what I wanted in mind. Quite often I wouldn’t find one that exactly fitted in with that image, so I’d change things around and add my own modifications. But as time went on, I started to play around with my own ideas and shapes to create my own designs.

What are you working on at the moment?
I’m starting to think of the warmer months now, so I’m working on a new design for a crocheted neck shawl in a gorgeous dusky pink laceweight yarn.
I want it to be quite open and light so it can also be worn all year round.

Who are your favourite other bloggers?
There are so many inspirational bloggers out there but some of my favourites are Maaike of Crejjtion (www.crejjtion.com), Annette of My Rose Valley (www.myrosevalley.blogspot.co.uk) and Vanessa from Coco Rose Diaries (www.cocorosetextiles.blogspot.co.uk). Most of those ladies are either designers or authors now too and I love all their work.