Meet the maker: the face behind devout hand

Ribblr reached out with some questions about my creative practice and named me Ribblr of the week (W30) – read the interview below.

Hi! Tell us a little about yourself.
Hey there! I’m Elliyah, a 27-year old fulltime crochet pattern designer living in Amsterdam. My background is in graphic design and marketing, and I also have a Masters degree in medieval history.

When did you start crafting and how?
During one of the COVID lockdowns – my job in hospitality was cancelled so I had way too much time on my hands. Luckily I had a few crafty friends with the same problem, so we got together and started a little crochet club.

And how did you start designing?
I’ve never actually used a crochet pattern, so everything I’ve made (so far) has been by my own design. It wasn’t my original intention to start writing patterns, but when my Sausage dog scarf design went viral I couldn’t keep up on orders, so I decided to write one – the rest is history!

Do you have a favorite craft type and if so - why?
So far it’s definitely crochet. It’s such a flexible craft, and it really feels like you can create anything you’d like. Learning how to crochet has changed the ways in which I interact with everyday stuff – if I see a piece of clothing I like, or even an object or shape, my first thought is what it’d look like translated to yarn.

What was the longest project you worked on?
My attention span really isn’t that long – probably the pattern for the This House Is Not A Home bag!

And the shortest one? (excluding frogging!)
A teensy tiny coffee cup.

What are you currently working on? Be honest - how many WIP do you have right now? 
It’s not as bad as you think! I’m working on a pattern for a laptop cover, an olive crossbody, some mini keychain designs and a big filet crochet version of my logo.

That sounds great!
Out of all your makes, which one are you most proud of?
I really like the Sweet cherry bag I’m working on right now. It took some time to get right, but she’s looking real summery and cute – once I’ve received feedback from my amazing testers, I’ll finalise and launch the pattern. Edit: find the pattern here!

What is your usual process of designing?
At the moment, I really like turning everyday objects into yarn and finding ways in which their original shape and form can add to the pattern. For example, I tried to make the stem of the Sweet cherry bag a useful part of its design, and I’m also working on an olive crossbody where the strap resembles a cocktail stick.

With that in mind, what inspires you to create/design?
One of my main goals is bringing more colour into the world – I’m a maximalist obsessed with pastels, trinkets and everything kitsch so you can imagine my feelings towards current day beige, minimalist trends. I also love how accessible crocheting and crafting in general has become, and the idea that making patterns for beginners means that (hopefully) more people will start making their own clothes and accessories is a huge driving force behind my designs.

**Pop culture time!**
Any favorite song, book or movie you would like to recommend?
Song: anything by Grace Ives
Book: Lapvona – so well written and perfect for fueling my obsession with the Middle Ages
Movie: Marcel The Shell With Shoes On 

Peep the original blog post here.