Designer we love

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m a designer-maker and workshop tutor based on the south coast in sunny Bournemouth. I live here with my lovely husband and our tiny tropical fish. As a designer, it’s all about accessories for me. Before I sold patterns, I was selling my handmade accessories, and actually started out with bridal crochet! Nowadays I do still make and sell sustainable jewellery and accessories, but I focus more on my patterns. Blankets, bags, headbands, cushions – that’s my whole thing.

How did you first learn to crochet?

A friend’s sister taught me how to make a granny square in college, and then another friend gave me a refresher a few years later. I got super into it and got a book of crochet blocks to learn the different stitches!

Do you have a ‘day job’ too?

I went self-employed in 2021 after working on magazines for years. Since then, I’ve been balancing my small business with freelance knit and crochet design, writing and marketing. At the start of this year I also picked up a part-time job with a local craft non-profit – it’s all creative stuff and I love the variety!

How did you get into design?

After graduating – I did textiles and creative writing at uni – I got an editorial assistant job on a craft magazine. Then I was fully immersed in all things crochet and eventually started coming up with my own designs.

Do you have a breakthrough pattern?

Definitely my Bee My Baby Blanket! I designed it in 2017 and it got a lot of attention on Ravelry. There are quite a few dupes now, but it’s still my bestseller on Etsy and got me taking design more seriously. In lockdown I started selling my own patterns properly, kicking off with a wall hanging to match the blanket. Now there’s a whole collection and it’s so cool to see all the amazing versions cropping up online.

What inspires your designs?

You never know where an idea might strike from. Everything from weird colour palettes, pop culture and the seaside where I live might end up becoming a new design. I even have a Stars Hollow Cowl inspired by Gilmore Girls and the Little Women film. I think I’d describe my pattern style as fun, colourful and achievable. I’m a total colour lover. My aim is always to keep patterns beginner-friendly, but creative and interesting if you fancy trying something new. And I always use natural fibres if possible.

What is your favourite part of the creative process?

I really love getting lost in a new idea – sketching it out and picking the yarn and colours is so fun. Finishing and photographing are fab too, when it totally comes together how you imagined. Some of my favourite crochet design moments have been collab shoots, actually. There’s an amazing creative community where I live and I’ve been lucky to team up with some really talented women for some of my pattern photography.

Any advice for an aspiring designer?

Lean into what you love for inspiration, rather than looking at what’s already out there. Deep dive into your favourite places, music, movies, colours, outfits – it’ll keep things fresh, original and keep you motivated. And be sure to follow lots of different crochet patterns to get familiar with the conventions and technical stuff before you start writing them. And pattern testers will be your besties! 

How important to you is the craft community?

Helping folks get creative and get connected is a real joy. I do think there is such a magic when makers get together, whether that’s in person or encouraging each other online. If you’d like to get connected with more crocheters, I do live crochet sessions on TikTok most weeks and we chat about our projects and all things yarn. Crochet is amazing for helping us find a moment of calm, grow confidence – and a supportive community.

What’s coming up in your diary?

Hosting workshops, creative events and my Stitch Night craft socials is something I adore, so there’ll be more of that in store, and plenty more patterns and crafty surprises in the pipeline. And let’s put it out there: I’d LOVE to write a pattern book!

Find Becca’s patterns on her website tobeadorned.square.site, plus Etsy, Ravelry, LoveCrafts and Ribblr under ‘To Be Adorned’.