Designer we love

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m 24 years old and live in a small apartment in Copenhagen. I’m a full-time crochet designer and write crochet books. My books have small diary sections connected to each of my designs because I love to tell stories and can’t only focus on making crochet patterns. I would say I’m just as much a storyteller as a crochet designer, so of course I had to pour my heart out into the pages in my book.

How did you first learn to crochet?

My grandma taught me to crochet. It was super-hard for me to understand what seemed so easy to her, so I supplemented her lessons with a lot of YouTube videos.

How did you get into crochet design?

I made my first designs shortly after I learned to crochet. I found it a bit boring to stick to a crochet pattern and when I started crocheting there weren’t really any designs available for the younger generation. So I thought, why not make my own, especially as I found designing happened quite intuitively for me.

What drove your initial success as a new designer?

I made my first breakthrough pattern about six months after I made my very first stitches. It was a checkered bag that YouTube influencer Emma Chamberlain bought from me. Since that I gained a lot of followers because of the exposure from her.

What inspires your designs?

I get super-inspired by movies and love to recreate different aesthetics and vibes from different films. My style is very playful, young and a little bit 70s-inspired.

Which are your most popular designs?

Definitely the checkered bag I made as my first design and a lace crochet shirt I have a pattern for on my web shop. My personal favourite changes all the time but at the moment it’s a giant scrunchie, which is a pattern I made for my web shop. I’m really into hair accessories right now.

Which achievements are you most proud of?

I’m really proud of having turned my hobby into a career and especially proud of my crochet books. My new book, Hot Girl Crochet, is out now.

Are there any other textile designers or artists that inspire you?

I really love @josefine_dyring_knit. She’s a knitter and her universe is colourful and playful just how I like it! There’s never a dull moment on her platform.

Which is your favourite part of the design process?

I love seeing the piece come together. It’s so exciting for me because I never do a lot of planning before beginning a design, I just jump right into it with my hook. I also enjoy doing photoshoots with my finished pieces and creating a story around them.

Any advice for an aspiring crochet designer?

Be original and try not to focus to much on trends or what everyone else is doing! People want to see original designs.

What else do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love going to concerts! My boyfriend is a musician, so he takes me to all of his gigs. In fact, I can never crochet without music or podcasts to listen to either. I also just started knitting and I really enjoy that as a break from crocheting.

What are you looking forward to this year?

I’m very excited for my next book to launch in Denmark! I’m also looking forward to moving my studio into my apartment so I can work whenever I like.

Find Rose’s patterns at rosesvane.com. Hot Girl Crochet by Rose Svane (Ilex Press, £22) is out now.