Black Sheep Boutique - Cherry Heart
Introducing Black Sheep Boutique..... A cosy corner of our website where you will find a personalised boutique for a curated selection of knitting and crochet designers. Each designer will have there own page featuring their own colour packs, patterns and designs. See a friendly face, along with a little info written by the designer about themselves, including the types of designs you should expect to see from them. Over the years as a company we have made some fantastic friends in the knitting and crochet world. Opening up Black Sheep Boutique is our way of showcasing the talents of a rather exceptional bunch of designers. When you purchase a colour pack you may not always know the origin of that particular design, who designed it? Do they do anything else in a similar style? Browsing through Black Sheep Boutique, you will be able to find more from your favourite designer and work your way through all of their incredible projects. To start off we are announcing just one designer. Over the next few months we will gradually add more designers to the Boutique. Keep an eye out here on the blog for more names being revealed soon.For the grand opening of Black Sheep Boutique we are very happy to announce our first designer - Cherry Heart. Sandra is the mastermind behind the amazing Spice of Life and A Spicier Life crochet along blankets. We have enjoyed working with Sandra over the years on the Crochet Alongs and have huge admiration for all of her creations. It is always a pleasure reading what she is up to on her blog. We spoke to Sandra to find out what she is been making recently and how she feels about being part of the Black Sheep Boutique.
We are so happy that you have chosen to be part of our Black Sheep Boutique. What does it mean for you to be part of this new venture?
Thank you, I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of it! It’s all a little surreal in many ways as I never would have imagined this was possible when I started my blog so long ago. It’s the very best and wonderful kind of surreal though, a bit of a dream come true really.
What inspired you to start designing fabulous crochet projects?
I think it began from searching existing patterns and not being able to find exactly what I wanted. I’d find great patterns but then want to tinker or change an element or two and then before I knew it the tinkering had turned into making from scratch.
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Forget Me Not Dots Blanket[/caption]You have designed so many fabulous blankets over the years and we are pleased to have many of them in our Cherry Heart Boutique. Which would you say is your favourite or one that holds a special place in your heart?
That would have to be my Painted Roses blanket. It was one of the designs that came together exactly as I had intended and I love how versatile it is. I’ve made two versions, both of which I love and yet look so different. (Painted Roses blanket coming soon to the Boutique)
How do you come up with such harmonious colour palettes?
Mostly I just play with colours until I find the combinations that please me most but sometimes inspiration comes from elsewhere, fabric patterns, interiors, or just being outdoors.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
A lot of time I’m inspired by colour. Certain colour combinations will often spark off an idea, other times it might be patterns or designs I see around me. The pattern on a china plate, the tiles on a building maybe. It can be the strangest things!
Do you ever take a break from crochet and knitting to enjoy other crafts?
Less often than I used to now just because of time constraints but I enjoying sewing a lot and have been known to dabble in embroidery, cross stitch and I have a weaving loom too!
Have you tried any new yarns lately? Is there anything that has really caught your eye?
I’ve been working with the new Bambino and Bellissima yarn by Stylecraft quite a bit lately and I have to say it’s a bit of a winner. It’s an acrylic yarn but it feels so luxurious and so soft and bouncy, it’s a real joy to use.
What is your go to crochet stitch pattern / motif? If you could just choose one.
Oooh, that’s a tricky one! I guess I would have to go the good old granny, it’s so simple and yet so versatile, it’s hard to beat really. If I was allowed two I’d go for cluster stitches as well, I use those a lot.
Do you still find time to crochet / knit for yourself in between designing?
Yes, I kind of make it a priority to make sure I continue to work on things for myself, most of my designs come about because it’s something I wanted! I find it very hard to design things unless I could see myself wearing or wanting the finished project.
We always love seeing your latest designs and can’t wait to add more of your projects into the Black Sheep Boutique. What are your future crochet plans?
I’m always saying that I want to get a garment pattern published. I’ve designed a few garments now, but haven’t quite been brave enough to release any patterns yet. It’s definitely something I want to do though.