My name is Nicola. Riordan. I design crochet patterns and I sell them on Etsy (Hooks & Canvas). I also have a couple of free patterns too!

I started crocheting in 2017, I am self-taught. The first thing I made was a very uneven scarf, which gained and lost stitches along the way. The first time I tried out amigurumi, I made a bear. I stuffed it with scrap yarn, made the eyes out of buttons, it had the wrong side on the outside, its ears and feet were different sizes, and it was just very ugly. I tried again, and again, and again, and my creations slowly became better. A friend asked me to make her dog, and I couldn’t find a pattern i liked so I free-handed it. Someone else saw it and asked for one too, and luckily I had made notes while making the first one. I converted my notes into a written pattern, and took photos while I was making the second dog. I then asked if anyone would test it for me, and I had multiple volunteers who gave very useful and constructive feedback. I decided to list it on etsy, and I sold one every 2 or 3 months. I worked on some more patterns, had them tested, and listed them. Eventually my sales became more and more frequent, and I was enjoying designing more and more. I’m now working as a GIS Scientist, and I love designing new crochet patterns in my spare time, I always have two or three in the works at any time!