Welcome to the May edition of Meet the Maker – Designer Spotlight! This month I am excited to introduce Christina, crochet designer behind Yurigurumi. I got to know Christina when we met on Instagram and bonded over making sourdough starter. I had never tried it before and she helped me every step of the way.
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Christina and I love science, crafts, Pokemon, Disney and nature! I’ve always been crafty even as a
young girl, and I remember doing things such as friendship bracelets, hemp bracelets, jewelry making, drawing and
painting in my youth. I started making amigurumi after I saw an amigurumi Eevee pokemon online. I was born and
raised in Vancouver BC, and studied chemistry in university.
How long have you been crocheting?
I’ve been crocheting since 2015, with a year long break around 2016 to finish up my university degree.
What types of patterns do you design? Do you focus on any certain types?
Writing patterns is actually my least favorite part about crochet design, sometimes I get so into making something
that I just freehand the whole thing and retroactively write the pattern afterwards. When I do write patterns, I try to
focus on relatively easy designs that I know I can write good instructions for (I don’t ever want to put out a pattern
that someone gets frustrated trying to do!)
Is there anything in particular that inspires your designs?
My designs are mostly inspired by my love for Disney and Pokemon, or animals! Really anything I find cute.
“I crochet mainly for relaxation and a creative outlet.”
What is the main reason that you crochet?
I crochet mainly for relaxation and a creative outlet. Also I’ve invested so much money in yarn I can’t stop now or
all that would go to waste!
How did you decide on your maker name?
I had a lot of trouble picking my maker name, and would probably chose a different one if I were to redo the process
today. Yurigurumi is a portmanteau of the words “yuri” which means lily in Japanese (which is also my favorite
flower), and “amigurumi” which is the Japanese word for the art of crocheting or knitting dolls. I wanted to have a
name that reflected a part of me, a part of my love for nature, a part of my heritage as an Asian person, and a part of
the Japanese heritage of amigurumi.
Do you have a favorite pattern you designed and why?
I think my favorite pattern that I designed is my billy goat pattern. It’s by far my most popular design and I love
seeing all the photos that people have taken of their own billy goats!
To purchase The Billy Goat Pattern from Yurigurumi on Etsy click HERE.
What do you love most about being a crochet designer/maker?
I really love how empowering being able to physically make something with your hands out of raw materials is –
how you start off with essentially a ball of string and it becomes a fully realized doll or figurine. The possibilities are
endless! I also really love being part of the crochet community and seeing all the amazing designs others come up
with, or how they interpret an animal or Pokemon and translate their style into their finished piece.
What do you love least about being a crochet designer/maker?
Sadly crochet is a very slow craft. You can be working on a design for hours only to figure out that it’s not quite
right, and the only thing you can do is pull apart all your hard work in the blink of an eye! Adding to that, I think a
lot of non-crocheters don’t realize how long it takes to crochet an amigurumi, and therefore “undervalue” your work
when they want to purchase a crocheted item. But since I’m usually watching TV or listening to an audiobook as I
crochet, the time just flies by
“Start simple and work your way up!”
Is there any helpful advice you could give someone just learning to crochet?
Start simple and work your way up! Start my making a basic scarf so you get comfortable with making crochet
stitches and holding the hook. Follow patterns before you try designing your own. Having a good foundation and
understanding of how crochet stitches work up will same you lots of time in the long run!
“I am always on the lookout to learn new things!”
When you are not crocheting, what are you most likely doing?
Pre-Covid I would likely be hanging out with my friends either playing some board games or at pub trivia.
Nowadays I might be playing games online, cooking/baking, or taking a class to further my education. I am
always on the lookout to learn new things!
What is your favorite type/weight of yarn to work with and why?
Since I love making small amigurumis my favorite weight of yarn to work with is DK or light weight yarn. I feel
like I can also make more intricate details with light weight yarn.
Do you have a favorite place to crochet?
Do you have any upcoming designs or new plans in the future as a maker?
So many things to do and so little time… I would love to try and design crochet patterns for all the first generation
Pokemon. Further I would love to actually formally write them up and put them up for sale online so others can
make them. A lot of my designs don’t have formal patterns written up for them because in the design process my
notebook has so many markings and things crossed out… nobody would be able to read them! Finally, I would love
to one day make DIY kits for some of my designs so that customers can buy everything they need to make
something from one of my patterns.
If you could create with any other medium (other than yarn), what would it be?
I would really love to try sewing plushies with fabric or felt.
For more about Christina and her many other characters from Yurigurumi, check out her Blog!
You can find Yurigurumi on social media: Etsy and Instagram.
I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about Christina, from Yurigurumi in this month’s edition of Meet the Maker – Designer Spotlight!
I hope you come back next month to meet another awesome maker!
While you are here, check out all my free patterns on the blog HERE or find some below.
