Designer we love

Tell us a bit about yourself…
I am a Canadian currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I am mum to my son Conan who is nine, and to my nonbinary teenager Emma-Noël who is 14. We have a cat named Ginny, a kitten named Toast, a bunny named Neville Longbottom, and a pair of gerbils named Artemis and Aphrodite.

Could you tell us what you do?
I am an avid crochet designer, and crochet nearly every single day. I am also an author of a few crochet books, with more coming next year.

How did you first learn to crochet?
I first learned at a little art shop in my hometown of Windsor, Ontario. I signed up for a beginner class, and learned how to make a scarf, which failed horribly and turned into a triangle at the end. I had been dropping stitches every row! But by the end of the classes, I had made a granny square blanket, and I loved everything about crocheting.

How and when did you get into crochet design?
I got into design when I started making gifts for friends and family. They started asking me if I could make a certain doll or a certain kind of hat, so I started designing my own patterns, eventually selling them on Etsy and Ravelry.

What inspires your designs, and how would you describe your style?
I would describe my style as bold and whimsical. I love clothing that has a bit of extra interest like fun colours or a different texture. I love everything nerdy, so characters are a big inspiration!

What are your most popular designs?
I think this past year some of my most popular designs were my Lakeside Coatigan, which is a boho granny square cardigan/coat, or my Molly cabled blanket, which is a beautiful cabled blanket filled with all sorts of interesting crochet stitches. A lot of the designs from my Harry Potter Crochet Wizardry book are a hit as well.

What are you most proud of?
I am extremely proud to have become a published author of two books, A Modern Guide To Textured Crochet, and Harry Potter Crochet Wizardry. I am super excited to be releasing two more books in 2022, with more planned in the future. I am also proud to have appeared as a guest host on the PBS and CreateTV television show Knit And Crochet Now! for three years in a row. It’s a pretty neat experience!

What is your favourite part of the creative process?
When people make something I designed and tag me in their photos to show it to me, that’s the best feeling in the world as a designer. I love being able to share that experience with them.

Any advice for an aspiring crochet designer?
If you are feeling intimidated by the success of someone else in our industry, just remember they are a few years into the journey, and at one point were standing right where you are. Everyone’s design path happens at a different pace, and yours is perfect because it makes you happy.

What are you looking forward to?
This year I am looking forward to working on all of the amazing projects I have coming up, from books to collections. I also just moved across Canada to the East Coast so I am very excited to meet crocheters in my area.

Find Lee’s patterns at www.cococrochetlee.com or on Ravelry and Etsy. Follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cococrochetlee and Instagram at www.instagram.com/coco.crochet.lee.