Crochet-a-thon Winner Interview - Taraduff

This is our second to last interview with the winners of the crochet-a-thon.
Our wildly successful Taraduff!

Tell us a bit about yourself. - I am a stay-at-home mom of three. I love to cook, garden and crochet. I have a BA in apparel merchandising. I am fluent in portuguese. I spent 2 years in voluntary service as a missionary for my church in Brazil. 

Apart from creating things, what do you do? lots of cooking and gardening. In the summer and fall months, I do lots and lots of canning and preserving.

What first made you want to become an artist? I think staying home with my kids has really contributed to that. Since I don't work outside of the home, I need an outlet for my creativity. I really love to use my hands. I have done my share of hand quilting, but crocheting is so much more portable. It's easier to take with me and pick up where I left off when I have a spare minute. 

Please describe your creative process. - I think it varies a lot for the particular item. Sometimes I see things in the media, or nature that I want to recreate, or put a different spin on. I think about how exactly I want to go about producing the desired shape and feel of the finished product.

What handmade possession do you most cherish? After my first miscarriage, at 14 wks, I was devastated. That winter I made and hand quilted 3 quilts. Two of them match and are on my son's bunk beds. The other is on my wall in the entry of our home. I don't think I realized it at the time, but whenever I see it and how beautifully it turned out, I remember that little soul. All of my love and grief went into that quilt. 

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy or the Create Crochet Team? - Don't be afraid to try something different. Things that are different seem to catch people's eye. You get more attention which is always good. And keep trying, whatever you do. If you love it and want to share it, keep on going. Eventually your customers will find you, and it's likely they will tell others and be a repeat customer.

How do you promote your work? Twitter and Facebook

In ten years, where would you like to be? - Although I have done relatively few patterns, I would really love to be known as a 'designer'.

What was your inspiration for your challenge piece? - My two boys both like playing baseball. That season is coming up! And I so often crochet things for my daughter, I like to make things with them in mind too.




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-Benji