Karen Ratto-Whooley is definitely someone in the crochet world I look up to. A great designer and teacher, Karen learned to crochet when she was a child from her Nonna. Since then, she has developed into a successful designer and author. Karen recently agreed to share some of her thoughts with The Fiber Forum.

ALVB: When did you first learn to crochet?
KRW: I learned to Crochet in 1974.  I was seven years old and my sister and I were spending the day at my Nonna’s (grandmother) house.  She felt that we watched WAY too much TV back then. (she was a woman ahead of her times)  So she pulled out this plastic size H crochet hook. And some green yarn, and taught me to chain and do the double crochet.  In two hours, I had completed a strip, complete with color changes that covered a wooden coat hanger. 

That afternoon, I went home with that plastic hook (which I still have) a steel hook and a coaster that was started in thread.  I was literally hooked.  From there I started making all sorts of stuff, from clothing for my stuffed animals, to baby layettes for my older cousins who were having children. As I got older I would bring my crochet to school and my friends would tease me about it.  I was the only crocheter I knew other than my grandmother until I got hooked up on the internet.

I should mention that my grandmother was raised in Italy, and didn’t speak English.  She taught me all the terminology in Italian, and she could not read an English pattern.  So she taught me how to “read pictures” Though when I was older my mom did sign me up for a class at a local yarn shop so I could learn to read patterns. However, I only really needed one lesson as once I figured out how the abbreviations worked.. I could do everything else on my own, thanks to my Nonna.

ALVB: When did you make the jump to a designer?
KRW: Looking back, I think I always had a little bit of a designer in me. I would make things from patterns, but I didn’t like an edging there, or I would change a neckline.  All of my doll clothes I would create from scratch without a pattern.  I was never afraid to try new things, and my Nonna would always help me think outside of the box.

But the actual jump was made in late 1998. On the Crochet Partners email list, I met Terry Kimbrough.  I had gobs and gobs of her pattern leaflets but to meet her online was a complete thrill for me.  She was (and still is) my all time favorite designer ever.  She and I got to know each other very well as we both had just six months before given birth to our youngest child, on exactly the same day. Who would have thought?  We ended up chatting more through AOL Instant Message almost daily, and to this day I can honestly say she is one of my best friends.  She saw pictures of my work, encouraged me to submit some of my most simple designs to the publishers.  My first designs were picked up by Annie’s Attic… and that is where it all started!

ALVB: Tell me about Top Down Sweaters to Crochet. How did you develop this idea?
KRW: Sweaters for myself have always eluded me.  Being generously endowed, I could never make a sweater fit me directly from a pattern.  They were either too small, too large or they would just not be flattering.  No matter what I tried from patterns and altered myself I just could not get it right.

One day, I was surfing the internet and stumbled across a website with instructions to do top down sweaters in knitting.  I wasn’t a knitter at the time, but I could read the instructions and pulled out a crochet hook and tried to mimic what the woman was talking about.   It took me several tries to understand what was going on, but once I did, in 2 days I completed a sweater for my daughter.  The next day I completed a sweater for my son.

I knew I was on to something when I created a sweater for myself that fit and was flattering the first time out of the gate, so I originally created a class on the technique that became popular with my local students.  Then brought it out to the CGOA Conference in 2007.  That same year I brought a sample to the meet and greet with the publishers and they wanted me to create a book using the technique.  The V-stitch Tunic on the cover was what they saw, and the Shadow Jacket happened to be the project I was making as I worked along with my students.

ALVB: What advice do you have for new designers?
KRW: For new designers, I encourage you to design what you love.  Just because socks or sweaters are the in thing right now, that doesn’t mean you HAVE to do it.  If you love creating afghans, do it.  If you have a really great dishcloth pattern, submit it. At 41 years young, I am not into skulls and crossbones, iPod covers and risqué joke gifts, so I don’t design them.  If you don’t love what you are doing, then it is not going to be fun to do and ends up being work instead of joy.

Also, don’t sell yourself short.  Many of us are tempted to give away our patterns free to other crocheters.  Don’t do it if you are serious about being a designer.  One or two freebies are great now and then, but as a designer, our lively hood is threatened by sheer number of free patterns out there.  And if you are consistently giving away your work for free, many crocheters will not take you seriously when you are ready to start charging for your work.

And lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Terry is my greatest cheerleader and now, 10 years later, I still bounce stuff off of her when I need to.  Joining CGOA and getting a Professional Member as a mentor is a really fantastic way to get yourself going.

ALVB: What new projects do you have on the horizon?
KRW: I actually have a lot going on right now. Much of it I cannot talk about, but I can talk about my teaching.  I am scheduling lot of on-line classes in the near future.  I also teach locally at a yarn shop called Great Yarns (http://www.greatyarns.com) Many people may know the shop as they attend all of the Stitches events around the country every year as well as TNNA.  I am also scheduling teaching events in 2009 and 2010.  I am willing to talk to anyone about scheduling classes out in their area, be it a small local guild or if you know of an event in your area that might be interested in having me come out.

In January 2009 I will be launching a new set of self-published patterns, and some of them will include knitting.  I also fell upon 2 hand-written patterns from my grandmothers.  One is knitted from my grandmother who was a knitter, and the other is crochet from my Nonna who taught me to crochet.  I am re-writing both of them in current terminology and in English on my website in their honor.

Oh, and my second Book, Savvy Single Crochet, was just released in October!

Also start looking for my patterns in a local yarn shop near you!

ALVB: How can people find out more about you?
KRW: My website is a great place to start. KRW Knitwear Studio http://www.krwknitwear.com I have a free newsletter anyone can sign up for to learn about my new books  and patterns coming out, where I am teaching, and read my blog.  I should mention my blog is getting a face lift soon!  Occasionally I will have clearance rack sales, where I go through de-stashing the unused skeins of yarn in my yarn closet!

You can also find me on Ravelry (Isn’t that a great site?)  My handle is KRW Knitwear, Most of my published patterns are listed on my designer page and if you like my patterns, I have a group there (http://www.ravelry.com/groups/krw-knitwear-studio) where you can chat with me or ask for help on a pattern!  I try to get there 2-3 times a week if I can.

I hope some of your readers will drop me a note to say hello!  I love to hear from crocheters everywhere.

Thanks so much Karen! I certainly wish you all the success in the future! You are a true inspiration!