Crochet with Desamour Designs
Have you ever seen the beautiful crochet patterns that are from Desamour Designs? Elisabeth creates beautiful crochet patterns as well as helping to create an amazing community supporting BIPOC creatives. Find out more about her BIPOC MAL and many amazing and stunning works of crochet and knitting artwork shared throughout the MAL by reading on below.
You can find her on Instagram for the latest in the BIPOC MAL as well as her designs and more as well as her website which features her blog, tons of free and paid patterns and much more! You can also find her and her fellow team members for the new Radicle Threads Online magazine to come soon. :)
Crochet Designing with Desamour Designs
By Michele of VAMICreations and Elisabeth of Desamour Designs
What gave you the idea/inspiration to start Desamour Designs?
I started my business in the way many of us do; selling finished products. I started selling on Etsy and from there discovered the world of designing on Instagram. Desamour Designs was born out of me wanting to find a pastime and sharing them with the world. It has now grown into much more than I could’ve imagined.
How long has Desamour Designs been around?
I started my business in 2012 but have officially started the business as we know it today, in December of 2014.
What is Desamour Designs all about?
Desamour Designs is about providing simple, unique, and modern crochet patterns to millennials and also about uplifting my community. I truly believe that the stronger the community, the stronger its individual members get. How did you get started crocheting/Tunisian crocheting? I learned to crochet in elementary school, growing up in Haiti. I did not pick up crochet again until I was in my late teens and looking for something to past my time. I later discovered Tunisian crochet and spent hours on Youtube trying to learn everything I could. I designed my first Tunisian pattern in 2019 and have been addicted since.
How do you choose the yarns and the designs you create?
I get inspirations from movies|shows and things I see others wearing in everyday life. I often like a neckline from a shirt and a sleeve style from something else and try to combine them in my mind to create something I love. If it works in my head, I then draw it and go from there. I gravitate toward cheerful color and also neutrals, yarn selection has always been a game of whatever goes with the feel of what I am creating. What has inspired you to create different designs? I wanted to create the things I would love to wear but couldn’t find a pattern for or find in stores. I always found myself changing designs to fit my style more, adding a different sleeve or changing the stitch when I tried to follow a pattern so, in 2018, I decided to publish my first pattern to fill the gap.
What is your favorite type of design to create?
I love creating sweaters, cardigans, and tops which can be worn in all the stages of our days. I think all of us creatives often find ourselves interested in everything, so I enjoy creating patterns for date nights, days in the office, or just relaxing with friends and family.
What would you tell a new crocheter for encouragement?
Don’t stop! Focus on the things that make you happy. You will find your people and they will want your patterns. Create, make friends and you will discover a path you didn’t even know you wanted to be on.
What is the BIPOC MAL?
The BIPOC MAL is a stress-free crochet and knit event for yarn lovers and BIPOC designers supporters. The event runs from October 1st to December 18th, 2020, but you can join the party anytime. Pick any free or paid pattern from a Black designer with 10k followers and fewer, share your progress on Instagram|Facebook, and you’re in the running to win some awesome prizes. BIPOC stands for Black Indigenous and People of Color. In 2018, BIPOC in the fiber community spoke out against the discrimination and injustice we were facing in the community and as a result of lack of opportunities and been overlooked at LYS, large companies, magazines, and other makers and designers. I decided to launch this annual make along to bring awareness and create a table where none was offered. In the first year, the BIPOC MAL focused on all BIPOC designers and makers. In the following round, we focused on BIPOC designers and makes with 10 followers and fewer on Instagram. This year, we started breaking down each letter of the BIPOC so we can give each community within the group a chance to grow. For anyone interested in reading more about the make-along and joining this round, visit: https://desamourdesigns.com/bipocmalfall2020/
What is something you are passionate about and why?
Social Media and all of its workings fascinate me, and it is why I have decided to get my Master’s degree in Social Media Marketing and share social media management tips with my followers every Wednesday and usually host a live to discuss in more details and answer questions the following Saturday.
What is your favorite type of Podcast/YouTube video to make (interview, discussion, live, tutorial, etc)? And why?
I love interview-style podcast episodes. I get to share the knowledge that I may be lacking with my audience by introducing them to great makers, designers, and dyers they need in their lives. I plan on starting a tutorial section soon where I share my business and social media marketing tips with my fellow fiber lovers.
How has COVID changed or impacted your vision/strategy?
This year has made me realize the new directions I wanted to take my business and helped me understand what is important to me. I learned to balance my needs as a person with my goals as a business owner. It has been a year of growth.
What is something that has helped you get through during this global pandemic? Something encouraging or positive?
I’ve started working out via WhatsApp with my sister, who lives in Europe, and a cousin. It has given me a purpose and something positive to focus on while staying connected with family.
If you had one (or several) things to share with a woman entrepreneur, what would it be? What would you encourage them about?
Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t. Do your research and don’t be afraid to reach out to other doing the things you want to do.
What is your dream for Desamour Designs to be (where do you see Desamour Designs in 5+ years)?
In 5 years, I would hope for Desamour Designs to be a storefront where patterns and yarns can be found from all makers and dyers.
Fun questions – if you could meet anyone from history, who would it be and why?
Catherine Flon! As the woman who sewn the flag of the first Black nation to win their independence through a successful revolt, I would love to meet her and know if she knew then how much her name would be remembered by women like me. I learned to sew because of stories my mother told me as she was sewing our clothes.
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Thank you for joining us for this interview with Desamour Designs and thank you to Elisabeth for doing this interview with us. What you have created from her crochet designs? We would love to see, comment below, tag us on social media or email me and we’d love to share your creations! Have a great day my friend!
Hello my friend! Sometimes being a crochet pattern designer no matter your experience (beginner or advanced) can be tough. For encouragement as well as to have some great recommendations by those who have been crocheting for a while, I’ve asked a number of crochet designers for not only how they got started and what they recommend for new pattern designers but what they wish they would have known when they first got started. :).