Friday Focus: Jen Atchison

The holiday season may be winding down, but winter has just begun. You may find that you have a bit more time for yourself now that the festivities have died down. Are you itching to start up a new project? There are so many cute winter wear patterns available. Don't know where to start? Let me help you out! A while back a friendly lady named Jen liked my Facebook page and wrote me a nice note. I soon found out that she is a new designer as well, Jen Atchison for LPCrochet. Her pieces are classic and cozy with clean lines. All of her current patterns are free which is very generous of her. She's here today to share her crochet story as our featured designer.

Who taught you to crochet? How long have you been doing it?
I taught myself using an old book of my grandmother's several years ago, but never progressed further than a half trivet haha! Then a little over two years ago, I decided to give it another go. Armed with books, a few YouTube 'how-to's', and advice from crocheter friends it finally clicked and I was hooked (no pun intended :P).

Why do you crochet?
It started because I was always oooing and awwing over the cute little hats I'd see for babies and toddlers (at the time, my youngest was 2 and a half). I decided I could make them myself and said as much to my husband who gave me the "sure you can...." sarcastic look. The very next day I completed my first project to spite him (ha!). A hat, that admittedly, was TINY and wouldn't even have fit a newborn, but still... I DID it! I was so proud I just kept going; striving to get better. Now I actually make a little side income, which feels amazing.

Crochet Favorites
I've got a slight obsession with Vickie Howell's Sheepish. I LOVE the colorways and the finished look of products made using it is amazingly gorgeous! My typical "go to" is Vanna's Choice, but I also use a lot of Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn and I just got my first shipment from KnitPicks.com and I LOVE them all! 

My all time favorite hooks are Clover Amours. My hands, wrists, and forearms can withstand a LOT more crochet time with no pain or numbness. I'm lusting for a set of Etimo hooks, though. 

What are you working on right now?
I'm currently buried in orders. Mostly wholesale for some local businesses. I LOVE IT! I'm hoping to make some time to write a pattern or two for my blog soon. I've been severely neglecting it lately!

A few finished objects...
Flower Top Slouch -- Dubbed, "The Rosie" hat by a Facebook fan. My own design, made with Vickie Howell's Cotton(ish) DK weight yarn.

Criss Cross Chunky Cowl -- Made with a bulky weight yarn and fun texture, this cowl is a cute accessory that works up quickly.

Chevron Slouch -- The worsted weight version of my chevron pattern -- pattern conversion can be found at the bottom of the original (written for DK weight yarn). A craft show crowd pleaser!

All patterns in pictures shown are my own and can be found for free on my blog!

Awesome! It will be fun to see what other patterns Jen comes up with as time goes by. If you're not a crocheter but like her work, you can also purchase finished objects from her. She can be found on her blog, Facebook, Etsy, and Ravelry. Thanks for joining us today, Jen!