I can’t even put into words how excited I am for today’s blogpost! I am incredibly thankful for the small little community I have been able to cultivate here on my blog and through social media. Through my time on online, I’ve been able to connect with many other makers, one of them being Ashtin of Crab Abble Crafts.
I truly consider Ashtin to be one of my crochet besties, and I’m so thankful for the ways we’ve been able to connect through Instagram for the last 4 years! She is such a talented designer and I’m in awe of every single one of her designs!
Having Ashtin be my first guest maker on my blog is such an honor! The first portion of the post is a little interview with Ashtin, where you can learn more about her, Crab Abble, and crochet designing. In the second half, you’ll find a free earring pattern designed by Ashtin!
Connect with Ashtin
Website
Tell us a little about yourself!
Hi! I’m Ashtin. I live in eastern Washington with my 2 kids and husband. When I was a kid, I loved to make friendship bracelets. One day I thought, “It would be so cool if I could make anything out of thread, just like I make friendship bracelets.” And it dawned on me that that is exactly what knitting and crochet was! From there, I taught myself how to crochet when I was 17, and the rest is history. I like to joke that I used to be a huge bookworm… now I just knit and crochet ha!
Outside of knitting and crocheting, I love doing things outdoors like skiing, swimming, hiking, etc. and of course hanging out with my 2 kids, who are almost 2 years old and 3 months old! I love to go out for coffee (what mom of littles doesn’t??), make sourdough, cook, and tend to my honeybees. My friends joke that I’m a Jane-of-all-trades, which is pretty accurate I’d say!
What inspired you to start Crab Abble?
When I started Crab Abble, I was actually selling physical items. I found myself surrounded by stacks of headbands, beanies, and scarves and had no idea what to do with them. I figured if I could sell some, I could at least cover the costs of my yarn. My sister, Abbi, had an Etsy shop she didn’t really use any more, so I started posting my items there – hence the name Crab ABBLE. After a few months, I decided to try my hand at designing and found that I loved that way more than selling finished items. My third or fourth pattern was Ma’s Prairie Shawl, which exploded on social media. Since then, I’ve made at least 10 more garment designs and have had so much fun challenging myself as an artist.
What’s been one of your favorite designs to date?
One of my favorite designs is the Prescott Pullover. I love this one because I think it’s gorgeous, but it also taught me so much as a designer. It took me over 6 months to design, mainly because my first attempt didn’t work out. But in the end, it was so worth it because I learned a lot about shaping and fit. I’ve got a design cooking behind the scenes right now that I think will also be in my top 3 favorites. It’s a top that I’m hoping to release at the end of spring/early summer, but I love it so much I may not be able to wait that long!
What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned since starting your business?
I know it’s over said (but it really is true) – you can’t be afraid to fail. You can’t be afraid to try new things. Designing and putting myself out there online has really taught me to just keep going, even if the last design, the last post, the last marketing email, wasn’t the best. You keep learning and you keep going.
I also think it’s important to love your audience, and that they love you. I don’t mean that you need to be fake to make people online love you. I just mean you have to genuinely care about the people you’re designing patterns for – because that makes you design better patterns. It makes you raise the bar on yourself. There’s a TON of people out there designing, and that’s great! But you have to find your audience and get in tune with what they want/like… and then you need to care about it. Personally, there have been seasons of my life where I haven’t been as connected to my audience due to my personal life, and I think that that connectivity really does make a difference in your content and designs.
What’s a piece of advice for someone who wants to start crochet designing?
If you’re looking to start designing, don’t get overwhelmed with everything that’s out there. Be original, but don’t be worried about re-inventing the wheel. My secret recipe for success with garment designs is: if it’s not interesting with color, it needs to be interesting with shape. If it’s not interesting with shape, it needs to be interesting with texture. If it’s not interesting with texture, it needs to be interesting with color.
Better Days Earrings Free Crochet Pattern
Materials
Yarn: 4 different colors of embroidery thread
Hook: 3.25mm crochet hook
Notions:
- Kidney Shaped Ear Wire
- Scissors
Pattern Notes
- Hook and stitch: If you’re having a hard time crocheting with the embroidery floss, try adjusting your hook size. I’ve used numerous hook sizes for this project (a 3.25mm being the largest hook, but a 2.50mm/2.75mm works, too!) in the past. The larger the hook, the larger your rainbow will be.
- Turning Chains: Turning chains do not count as stitches unless specifically stated.
- Supplementary Photos: Please refer to the Supplementary Photos section for help with the pattern.
- Skill Level and Terminology: Pattern is easy/advanced beginner and in US Crochet Terms.
Gauge
Gauge is not important to this project.
Abbreviations
St: Stitch
Sl St: Slip Stitch
Ch: Chain
Ml: Magic loop
Sc: Single crochet
Pattern
With 3.35mm hook
With Color A
Row 1: Make a magic loop and crochet 10 sc into your magic loop. Sl st into first st to close the circle. Fasten off and cut a long tail (about 4 inches).
With Color B
Row 2: Attach your yarn near the last st of the previous row (see Supplementary Photos for reference on where to attach the next color). Ch 2, sc in same st, 1 sc in next st, 2 sc in following st. Repeat from * until you have 10 stitches, ending with 1 sc. (10)
With Color C
Row 3: Attach yarn into the ch 2 from the previous row and ch 2. Sc in next st, *2 sc in the following st, 1 sc in next 2 sts. Repeat from * until you have 13 stitches. (13)
With Color D
Row 4: Attach yarn into the ch 2 from the previous row and ch 2. Make 1 sc in next 2 sts, *2 sc in the following st, 1 sc in next 3 sts. Repeat from * until you have 16 stitches. (16)
Finishing
For a pair of earrings, cut 2 pieces of Color A and 4 pieces of Colors B-D, each piece 10 inches long
Image 1: Fold your 10 inch tassel in half
before attaching to the rainbow body.
Starting with the outside most color,
fold one piece of thread in half.
Insert your hook at the base of the
rainbow from the back to the front
and hook the middle of the folded
yarn. Pull through the rainbow and loop the yarn, tightening to secure.
Before you tighten the loop all the way, add the tail of the thread from your row. You’ll end up with 5 pieces of thread in your tassel. See supplementary photos for help.
Continue with each color. Once you have all your tassels secured, cut the bottom of the loops. Trim the tassels straight across. You can make them as long as you want. If you have any pesky tassels sticking out at weird angles, lightly add some water and comb with your fingers. Thread the top of your rainbow through the kidney bean ear wires.
Supplementary Photos
outside edge across the rainbow.
straight.
A huge thank you to Ashtin for sharing this free crochet earring pattern! Be sure to follow her on Instagram so you can stay up to date on all of her lovely patterns!
xo, Grace
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