Designer we love

Tell us a bit about yourself…
I was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden,

and live here with my husband Allan, who is a great support and the love of my life. Here in Sweden, I’m the foremost innovator in crochet. I’ve developed new techniques and like to experiment with exciting structures and patterns. I’m a textile designer and teacher, running courses and holding exhibitions, and have published six crochet books. I also work a few days a month at a home for adults with Down’s syndrome. It’s very rewarding to work with people who need support to cope with their everyday lives.

How did you get into crochet design?
I first learned to crochet when I was seven. Then, while studying at the College of Arts, I discovered a love of designing patterns and printing textiles. For my degree project in 1989, to stand out from the crowd, I decided to try a completely new and, for me, unexplored technique, using both knitted and crocheted samples. A well-known textile designer – Inez Svensson – told me I’d found my own niche in textiles and that I should explore it further!

Which are your most popular designs?
Probably my development of the traditional granny square, which I started crocheting with in 2012. My new book, Crochet Squares, is my second one using these squares and I’m constantly finding new ways to put them together to form designs that make it difficult to see each individual square. My designs usually consist of four squares, and by using different colours, the same square can be experienced completely differently.

Which is your personal favourite of your designs?
My mosaic crochet squares, which I have made into two large wall hangings to display at exhibitions. Both are shown in my Crochet Squares book. One pattern is inspired by the folk pattern (Stella) with stars and the other takes inspiration from William Morris.

Any advice for an aspiring crochet designer?
Just get started and enjoy experimenting and playing with different stitches. You can find a lot of inspiration via social media that you can build on to find your own personal expression and design style. I’ve often learned by making mistakes, which has then helped me develop new techniques and patterns.

Which item in your workspace could you not live without?
If I could only choose one thing, it would be my favourite crochet hook. I’ve been crocheting with it for more than 35 years.

What are your plans for the future?
I look forward to continuing to develop my crochet skills. With each new pattern I develop more new ideas that I want to try. I would also love to publish another book where I share my insights into how to turn an idea into reality. My big dream is to hold an exhibition showing everything I’ve crocheted since 1989, alongside pieces that others have been inspired to crochet from my patterns. This may be a fantasy – but you should always have a dream.

Maria’s new book, Crochet Squares (Batsford Books, £18.99) is out now.