In August of 2009, I quit my full-time job at a clinic so that I could stay home with my 2 year old daughter. I had plans to expand my web design hobby into a career. I also kept myself busy that first year by selling on eBay. In November of 2010, I started crocheting again after a long hiatus. First I tried a dog sweater, and then...well, I'll get to that. I had only made afghans up to this point. Both my grandmothers had a hand in teaching me to crochet when I was a little girl and I always loved it, but I didn't have a lot of time to crochet when I was working outside the home.
So anyway, the next pattern I tried was a free one I found online, for a pair of toddler slippers. This pattern got me HOOKED on crocheting again. I learned some new stitches (front and back post double crochet) and it made me realize that when I got stuck, I could look online for help. You can find that pattern here: http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bevs-winter-slippers.html
Over the next couple of months I tried more free patterns, then I eventually got brave and bought one online. At that point, the web design was kind of sporadic since I was just relying on word-of-mouth and hadn't really done any advertising...and I was watching my spending, so it was a little nerve-wracking buying patterns that I wasn't sure if I'd be able to follow. But I was having so much fun trying new patterns and very quickly realized I was modifying them to put my own spin on them. I wrote my first pattern just a month or two later. Because I jumped into designing patterns so quickly, I sometimes feel like it was a little bit too rushed....but I have learned soooo much along the way, thanks to some fabulous pattern testers (and friends) that have helped me grow.
Fast forward to June of 2012...I was having incredible success selling my patterns...so much more than I ever dreamed possible. Enough so that I was able to quit the web design business entirely (although I still have a few clients I work with). Then one day I get an email question from a lady who bought a pattern from me and can you imagine the THRILL I felt when I realized it was Bev Qualheim...the lady who wrote the slipper pattern that inspired me to get back into crochet?!?! I couldn't believe it!! I wrote to her right away (and of course refunded her money for the hat pattern as a 'thank you' for inspiring me) and told her how excited I was that she found my patterns, and how she inspired me.
Over the years I've made many slippers and by no means do I wish to take credit for the IDEA of these slippers. I've just expanded the sizing, added more details and tweaked it a little bit. So with all of that, I wish to thank Bev Qualheim and invite you to check out her website for some fabulous free patterns: http://www.bevscountrycottage.com. Please tell her I sent you!
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| Adult Chunky Slippers, pattern by Crochet by Jennifer. Photo copyright Angelina Rossi. |
You can find my free pattern for Adult Chunky Slippers here.
You can find my free pattern for Kids Chunky Slippers here.
You can find my free pattern for Kids Chunky Slippers here.