Meet Danyel from Danyel Pink Designs

I was lucky to have a virtual sit down chat with Danyel from Danyel Pink Designs. She’s a very talented designer and a great friend! I’ve had the privilege of working with her for the last few years and it has been great experience. She was also kind enough to share a coupon code for her Ravelry shop with us!

Would you tell us about how you got started with crochet?

When I was very little, my grandparents would come visit and my grandma would always have a yarn bag with her. She would knit and crochet lots of dishcloths. One time when I was about 10, I asked her to show me how. She bought me some yarn, and I made 2 little blankets for my dolls (my daughter now has them for her dolls). I didn’t crochet again for nearly 18 years. In 2007, we were visiting my in-laws for the holidays, and my husband’s mom was crocheting a beautiful afghan (she LOVED gifting afghans to everyone) and I asked her if she could re-teach me. I just wasn’t getting it this time, so she sent me a hook and a book, and I took off on my own. I made hats and afghans for all of my friends, and then started selling some stuff on Etsy. A couple years later, I began writing my own patterns, and have been doing it ever since.

Where does your crochet design inspiration come from?

I find inspiration in lots of ways! If I see a cool stitch, I might center a design around that. If I see a fun design made from fabric, I might see if I can find a way to make a crocheted version. Sometimes I even find inspiration in weird places, like the tile pattern on the floor of a bowling alley bathroom (true story!)

You are the Editor-in-Chief of Happily Hooked Magazines. What have you learned while working for the magazine?

Oh man. When I first got the editor job, I felt like a lifetime’s worth of information was dropped on my lap, and I had to dig my way out. OK, that’s a little extreme, but there is SO much going on behind the scenes, and I have learned a lot! I’ve gained little bits of knowledge here and there about SEO, marketing, sales, social media, tech editing, customer service, blogging, working with contributors, creating partnerships with other businesses, and much, much more!

You have been a repeat contender in Design Wars. Have you had any favorite challenges? What do you enjoy about participating in Design Wars?

Honestly, I love all of the Design Wars challenges! It has changed so much over the past few years since it started, and it continues to grow into this amazing community of designers and crochet lovers. I won the “Creme de la Creme” challenge a couple years back with my “Pretty Little Apron”, and I was really proud of my “Prism Slouch” from the “Red Heart With Love” challenge… but since then, I’ve really grown as a designer and have created so many things that I’m really proud of. And that’s what I love about Design Wars the most. I’m inspired to think out of the box, and create new designs that might be out of my comfort zone. It’s really helped me to grow as a designer.

What is your favorite yarn to work with and why?

For a long time, I would have said “I Love This Yarn”; it’s a great yarn that comes in an awesome variety of colors. But now I think my two favorites are Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima and Cascade 220 Superwash. Both are super awesome to work with, and are great for so many projects.

What are your greatest crochet accomplishments?

Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been published in a few magazines, calendars, and featured on a few different crochet websites. Seeing my name out there feels pretty dang good, but the thing that feels the most like an accomplishment is when someone shares a photo of something they’ve made from one of my designs, and they tell me how much they love it. Passing my love for crochet on to other people feels really dang good. 🙂

What are your most popular patterns?

My “Prism Slouch” is by far the most popular design in my shop. People have been getting really creative with their color combinations on this one!

And the most popular FREE pattern on my blog is my Super Slouch Hat. I designed it in 2011, and it’s still one of the most-viewed patterns on my blog each month!

I wanted to share my favorite pattern of Danyel’s with you all but I couldn’t decide which one I liked the most. I LOVE the Kaleidoscope patterns from her shop and I am so excited to see the newest slouch pattern! Here are the links: Kaleidoscope Slouch, Kaleidoscope Bonnet, Kaleidoscope Scarf, Kaleidoscope Cowl

How does crochet help you?

I really crocheted a lot when I was pregnant with babies #2 and #3, and it helped me take my mind off the aches, pains, and nausea. Now, I think I crochet mostly when I need to unwind, and take my mind off of all of the day-to-day stuff that goes on in life. Also… since it’s technically my “job”, I crochet to procrastinate from doing chores, and no one can say I’m not being productive. Ha ha!

Do you have any other hobbies?

I enjoy reading, watching movies, and painting. Once upon a time, I used to be a pretty good painter.

How do you balance your work and home life?

I use a planner to write down all the important stuff, and just take one day at a time. If I have a work deadline coming up, I might let the dirty dishes sit in the sink an extra day. If my kids need me, or we just feel like doing something fun, I put off my work for a day or two. I just do what needs to get done at the time, and try not to stress too much about it.

How do you spend your time when you are not crocheting?

Playing with the kids, watching movies, walking the dog, reading books… you know, normal “mom stuff”.

Thanks for inviting me to be featured on The Crochet Cafe, and I hope everyone has a wonderful week! 🙂

Danyel was very generous and shared a coupon code for our readers. During July 6th – 10th, 2015, enjoy 35% off your entire pattern purchase with coupon code TCC35

One Comment

1. 

   christine

   July 6, 2015 at 1:32 pm

   lovely patterns I am going to have lots fun doing them thank you

   Reply