Say hello to Alex (@alexcreates99)- our new Ribblr of the Week and the designer behind Red Panda Patterns 
Tell us a little about yourself
Hi! I’m Alex, I’m 24 years old and I run Red Panda Patterns. I live in rural Kent, England, and besides fibre arts, I really enjoy being out in the countryside and playing cosy games.
When did you start crafting and how?
I began crafting quite young; my Gran taught me to knit when I was 8 or 9 and I learned very basic sewing skills at school. I was never a brilliant knitter (so many dropped stitches!) but I still found fibre arts fascinating as I grew up. When I was 21, I had to leave the farm that I loved working on due to my health. I needed something to do, and inspired by my Gran’s huge granny square blankets, I taught myself to crochet.
And how did you start designing?
After I began crocheting, I quickly took on commissions - sometimes projects with stitches I’d never made before! Though challenging, these projects helped my skills to grow really quickly and about a year after I started crocheting, I found the confidence to start designing my own patterns.
Do you have a favorite craft type and if so - why?
My favourite craft type is definitely crochet, it has such unlimited potential and I find crochet-maths extremely satisfying (when it goes right)!
What has been the most memorable project you worked on?
My most memorable project is probably my Pinecone Trinket Bag. As a kid, I always loved collecting little acorns or interesting rocks while out on a walk, and after someone suggested that my Dragon Egg Dice Bag might look a little pinecone-y if it were brown, I re-designed the pattern to create a giant, pinecone-shaped trinket bag that you could loop onto your belt and take on walks. This pattern went a bit viral on both Instagram and Tiktok and I know so many people who use them, not only for collecting trinkets, but for cosplays or even just carrying their dog’s treats!
What are you currently working on? Be honest - how many WIP do you have right now?
I have SO many WIPs! There’s at least eight that I’m actively working on, and a few that I come back to every now and again. Most of them are Christmas presents so I can’t reveal them just yet, but I am also working on a new Wild Swimming-inspired set, including a hat, cowl and gloves. Here’s the start I made on the glove pattern: unfortunately, it is far too small for an adult’s hand! So, it will be frogged soon (when I have the heart to do it) but I am very excited about this set and I hope to start testing for it in January.
Which of your makes/designs are you most proud of?
Most recently, my All Eyes on You Gloves. I designed these back in Autumn of 2023, but only started actually making the pattern in September this year. It was quite tricky to get from an eclipse-shape to a square so it took some time but the result is even better than I’d envisioned. This isn’t a style I usually gravitate towards, I prefer nature and cozy themes, but these have a creepy vibe that I really love and I can’t stop wearing them.
What is your usual process of designing?
When I begin designing, I always start with a detailed sketch on my tablet. I love playing around with colours there, figuring out what works best, and even lightly sketching out the rows or stitches so that I don’t have to frog too much when I actually start writing the pattern on Ribblr.
What inspires you to create/design?
I live in a fairly rural area so I am heavily inspired by my natural surroundings, especially as the seasons change and different crops come into season. But I also love the limitless nature of crochet: if I can imagine it, I can probably make it, and that inspires me to just have a go at designing something new, even if I’m not too sure it’ll work the first time.
Any favorite song, book or movie you would like to recommend?
I love the Raven Cycle Series - it combines the beauty of nature with magic, and I find the audiobooks so relaxing to listen to while I crochet.
What is your favorite feature on Ribblr?
It’s a simple thing but I love that you can tick off the rows you’ve completed when you’re using Ribblr patterns (and quickly un-tick them when you make the same project again). My brain is a sieve and I would lose my place otherwise! I also just love scrolling through Ribblr and seeing how imaginative other crochet artists are, it’s so impressive.
*Share a funny story that happened to you recently!
A member of the public recognised me from my crochet! My partner and I were in Central London that day, and someone came up to me and asked if I was the crochet artist who makes little trinket bags! As someone from a very small, quiet village, being recognised came as such as surprise.
Where can others find you?
I regularly share my WIPs and upcoming patterns on my Instagram and Tiktok accounts: @red_panda_crochets
Would you like to shout anyone out on Ribblr?
I would love to shout-out:
Thanks so much for being here this week Alex, it’s a pleasure reading about you!
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