Designer Interview: Julie Armstrong Holetz
This is the third in my series of Crochet Designer interviews. Julie Armstrong Holetz has contributed to books like Stitch ‘N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker, Get Hooked: Simple Steps to Crochet Cool Stuff, and Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution. Her first book is titled Crochet Away! (Pretty Simple Stuff). Her second book, Uncommon Crochet: Twenty Projects Made From Natural Yarns and Alternative Fibers, comes out this month. She is also a regular contributor to the Crochet Me website. Julie’s website is skamama.com.
How long have you been crocheting?
I started crocheting when I was little. Both my mom and grandmother are
crafty, artistic people who taught me to crochet, sew, and needlepoint.
I put it down and picked it up again several times over the past decades
until about 4 years ago when I quit a full time number cruncher job to
stay at home with my two kids. I’ve been crocheting pretty much nonstop
since then. I’ve also taught myself to knit, sew, and embroider since then.
What motivated you to learn to crochet?
I was motivated to learn crochet simply because the women in my family
are creative people always look for a new creative outlet. More
recently, quitting my job a few years ago revealed how repressed my
creativity had become in the frantic pace of working two full time jobs
(parenting being one of them). All of the sudden I had time to slow
down and with that my creativity revved up. I began looking for things
to make and do. When I couldn’t find patterns to interest me I started
making them up myself.
What is your favorite of your published designs and why?
Well, I love the Baby It’s Cold Outside baby sweater and Fleuri handbag
because they were the first designs I ever published. But, I’d have to
say that some of my favorite designs are in my upcoming book Uncommon
Crochet. This book allowed me to get creative and explore working with
more unusual fibers and techniques which was a lot of fun. In this book
I really like Red’s Goodie Basket which is a round basket made with
thick leather cord (I love! red). I also love the sake and sushi sets
which were projects I just really enjoyed figuring out and they
completely contradict my philosophy that anything I make should have a
purpose.
What is your favorite fiber to work with?
Ack. Pick just one? No way. My first thought is cotton because cotton
and crochet go together like Port and chocolate. Cotton fibers are
strong and they produce beautiful stitch definition in crocheted
fabric. Crocheted cotton is great for structural and 3-dimensional
projects like bags, home decor, and toy projects which is what I usually
make. Then there are more unusual fibers like hemp, sisal, raffia, and
leather cord that are just plain fun to crochet with. Like cotton,
crocheting with hemp, raffia, and leather produce beautiful stitch
definition that highlights both lacy and dense stitch patterns. Right
now, though, I’m looking at DK superwash wool fibers so I can start
stitching up some garments for my kids who will put their clothes
through the paces requiring machine washability.
Do you have a favorite crochet hook? If so, please describe it.
Ah, the crochet hook. While I don’t consider myself a collector by
nature, I have found myself collecting stylish and fun crochet hooks. I
love my Bella Blue leopard print hook, my LED hook, and my Turn of the
Century hook. And, c’mon, who can resist a hook with golden sparkles?
Unfortunately, the stylish hooks aren’t always the most practical when
it comes to stitching up the crochet fabric. Hooks with pointy ends and
seams along the shaft will slow down your progress with snags and
friction. And I’ve broken a few “purty” Crystalites when crocheting
with hemp and sisal. Until recently I preferred to use the Susan Bates
Silvalume hook. The Bates aluminum hook is sturdy and can be used on
delicate fibers like mohair as well as tough fibers like 2 ply leather
cord without bending or breaking. Silvalume hooks are also polished so
the fibers slide easily over the hook which helps the stitch work go
quickly. I still like my Silvalume hooks, but last year my family
started gifting me the Addi crochet hooks which have a durable aluminum
shaft but they also have a light weight plastic comfort grip to make
your hands happy.
Please give us a quick overview of your design process, from idea to
finished object.
I’ll start with the design process I recommend for new designers. I
start with a sketch and a swatch. I use the sketch to plot out the
dimensions and design elements like color and embellishments. I make a
few swatches to play with fiber, hook size, and stitch patterns. If
it’s a felted project I’ll felt it to see how the fiber shrinks in width
and length. Once I have the swatch down I figure out the stitch and row
gauge and apply it to the dimensions from the sketch. Next I plot the
information in a spreadsheet to figure out how many stitches I should
have in each row. Sometimes, I write the pattern shell before I even
start stitching. Then I’ll stitch up the pattern and tweak the details
as I go in my spreadsheet. That’s the official design method.
Occasionally, when I’m feeling more free form I use the “stitch, frog,
repeat” method. This method is fun because you get to start crocheting
right away, but it usually annoys me to the point that I end up using
the official design method anyway. I remember when I first began
designing I didn’t have a clue where to start. I know that many people
feel the same way so I devoted part of my new book to the design process
and how I approach it. I hope that it will empower crocheters and
liberate them from feeling like they can’t design their own projects.
Who are some of your favorite designers?
Some of my favorite crochet designers are the up and coming designers
like Robyn Chachula, Amy O’Neill Houck, and Josi Hannon Madera. They
create designs that have a stylish yet classic appeal for most people.
I’m also drawn to Teva Durham’s designs just because she takes a more
artistic approach. I feel like my design approach is too limited and
sometimes I just want to make something that is asymmetrical or a little
funky without looking weird or just plain awful. Durham does that.
Other knitwear designers I like are Norah Gaughan and Doris Chan.
Note from Kiba: I interviewed Robyn Chacula, one of Julie’s favorite designers, back in January. My next interview is with Amy O’Neill Houck, another of her favorite designers!
