Ribblr of the Week - Meet Ellen šŸ…

Say hello to Ellen (@ellenscrochet)- our new Ribblr of the Week and the designer behind @ells.crochet


Tell us a little about yourself
Hi~ Iā€™m Ellen, the designer behind ells.crochet! Iā€™m 22 years old, living in Indonesia, and Iā€™ve just graduated with a degree in Visual Communication Design. Some of you might have guessed this because Iā€™m very picky about how my pictures look :3

Making cute and detailed crochet plushies is definitely my aesthetic! I love watching K-drama and anime, vibing to R&B and Japanese groove songs, hearing my cat respond to my call, and Iā€™ve recently gotten into cosplay! Iā€™m also currently learning Japanese and Korean, so feel free to hit me up for a convo if youā€™re a native speaker or learning them too ;)

When did you start crafting and how?
Iā€™ve always been that crafty girl who loves giving handmade gifts to the people I treasure, and one of them is my uncle. He used to visit my family every month, but he hasnā€™t been able to visit us for years. On Chinese New Year 2023, I had a sudden idea to give my uncle a handmade prayer cap when my dad wanted to send him a parcel.

And that was my first introduction to crochet! I really jumped head first by following an advanced beginner level tutorial on Youtube XD I learned the basic stitches, and thatā€™s it LOL. I struggled so badly at first and even rage quit after a while. But when I decided to pick it up again, I somehow understood crochet much better :D I eventually finished the prayer cap and then got hooked on making plushies! I immediately made 4 dinosaur plushies by @crafter_frog on YouTube that represent my dad, mom, brother, and me~ And I couldnā€™t stop crocheting ever since. My plushie collections, yarn stashes, and storage boxes just keep on adding up!!

And how did you start designing?
My pattern designing journey began when I wanted to give my college friend a birthday giftā€”Scarameow from Genshin Impact! She loves the character so much and I wanted to crochet one for her. But I couldnā€™t find a pattern for itā€¦ so I decided to make one! :D She was the first person to encourage me on my crochet journey, and she even commissioned me even though I just started crocheting XD Iā€™m so grateful to her for that!! A little tip: Honestly, the best way to start designing is to justā€¦ start! Grab your hook and yarn, crochet the design based on your vision, and adjust along the way. Experiment with your design as you go! ;)

Do you have a favorite craft type and if so - why?
Right now, crochet is definitely at the top of my mind! I also love exploring other types of crafts, such as punch needle, macrame, jewelry making, knotting alpha patterns, making accessories with a sewing machine, and more! I used to do illustrations and painting as well, which were the first things that introduced me to the creative side. They sparked my interest and curiosity in exploring different crafts! My first introduction to fiber art was actually from my elementary school taskā€”felt sewing! I loved the experience so much that I asked my mom to buy me more materials!! Itā€™s so amazing to rediscover fiber art and reconnect with my first experiences.

What has been the most memorable project you worked on?
My first pattern test!! Itā€™s the Lolita Bunny by @Luv2Crochet (@luv2crochet on IG). It was just about a month after I started crochet and opened an Instagram account, so it was so exciting to be chosen as one of the pattern testers <3 Much love to her for choosing me! The Lolita Bunny was definitely my first complicated and detailed project since I began crocheting, but I found it so interesting! It was quite hard, yet I enjoyed working on the details so much!!

What are you currently working on? Be honest - how many WIP do you have right now?
Iā€™m currently working on a new patternā€”the calico cat from Sumikko Gurashi in a sailor outfit! Itā€™s a birthday present for my friend who has been accompanying me since high school >.< (Keep an eye out for the tester call!) Iā€™m also making a DIY light stick for Park Jihoonā€™s Asia Fan Meeting Tour 2024 that Iā€™ll be attending~! Iā€™m so excited as this will be my first crochet project using combined materials, such as acrylic ball, resin, PVC pipe, and mini spot light. Hopefully it will turn out just as I envisioned it :D As for my WIPs, I have SO MANY unfinished projects in my storage box! Let me count themā€¦. 1, 2, 3ā€¦ There are definitely more than 10! Most of them just need to be sewn and have the felt details attached, the most time-consuming part for me >.<

Which of your makes/designs are you most proud of?
Definitely my recent makeā€”2 Headed Cat by @iuli.crochets that I named Echidna! I was immediately hooked by the story on the tester call about the sun, moon, love, and the desire to be together. I couldnā€™t resist applying for the pattern test!! >.< It was pretty challenging at first as I didnā€™t have a clear idea on what the output would look like. I initially planned to use white and purple yarn, and then the ideas of using gold nail art decorations and ribbons just came to me along the way~ I got inspired from Sailor Moon and Magico manga too for the name ā€œEchidnaā€ and the story of ā€œThe Star and The Moonā€ that I came up for them. Itā€™s always a magical experience to pour my creativity into each pattern test and experience the overflowing ideas :)

What is your usual process of designing?
My designing process is really straightforwardā€¦ I begin by envisioning the design using references, then sketch it out with some alternative models, and finally experiment with yarn and hook~ Thatā€™s it! :D Just remember to start and adjust along the way!!

What inspires you to create/design?
I think my surroundings are what inspires me to create. I take a lot of inspirations from the people around me and blend their interests to my design style. Just like when I made the Scarameow and Sumikko Gurashiā€™s calico cat patterns for my friends, as well as my recent free patternā€”Piko Cake Rollā€”in collaboration with @lilly_gurumi! You can get the pattern here on Ribblr~ Once the idea clicks, nothing can stop me from bringing my designs to life and turning my visions into reality ;)

Any favorite song, book or movie you would like to recommend?
Nano 惊惎 and her whole ANTHESIS album!! Specifically: Hourglass Story, Remember Again, Magenta, and Autobiography. Her songs have helped me so much to stand back on my feet whenever I went through hard times. She really conveys all my feelings in her songs, and the way she sings really gives me a sense of calmnessā€”to slowly stand back and face the situation with courage. She is definitely my role model and someone that I truly look up to. Quoting Hourglass Story, ā€œBut the answer I need has been there in front of me. But the change that I need Is to set myself free.ā€

And do watch this seriesā€”Weak Hero Class 1, starring Park Jihoon and Choi Hyun Wook! The vibes are immaculate and so are the OSTs! Each episode is such an emotional roller coaster journey, but the last episode is just really gut wrenching. I really canā€™t get over the acting, it made me so emotional! The good part is that season 2 is coming in early 2025!! I canā€™t wait to watch it >.< Also, take a listen to Jihoonā€™s songs too! My favorites: Moon&Back, Lost, and Black Hour. Such a soothing voice and great lyrics that will warm your heart~

What is your favorite feature on Ribblr?
My favorite feature is definitely crossing off each round when I finish it! The highlighted yarn colors also make it easier to distinguish which yarn is being used. I love the automatic abbreviations and round counts too :D I also have to mention Ribblrā€™s partnership with Joann and the smart match feature! Even though this feature isnā€™t available in my country, it definitely helps others find matching yarns used in the pattern~

Share a funny story that happened to you recently!
This isnā€™t a recent story, but itā€™s so funny I still remember it XD So, I was craving canned pork called MaLing. I suppose the name is a romanization of the Mandarin characters. The funny part is, in Indonesia, ā€œmalingā€ means thiefā€¦ So I casually asked my mom, ā€œMom, whereā€™s the MaLing (meat)?ā€ She was shocked and shouted, ā€œHUH, THEREā€™S A MALING (THIEF)??!ā€ She completely misunderstood me LOL! We both had a good laugh after that!!

Who are some designers you would like to give a shoutout to?
Itā€™s so hard to pick my favorites TwTā€¦ But if I have to, it would be @kumamigurumi (@kuma.migurumi on IG), @binka (@knotsewbinka on IG), @lillygurumi, @minanmia (@.minanmia. on IG), and @iuli.crochets!! My current favorite pattern is the sweet + melodic bun-buns by @bini binka. She worked so hard perfecting the pattern, and the mods for it are so creative! You can even customize your own bun-buns ā‚ į¢.Ė¬.į¢ā‚Ž

Where can others find you?
Iā€™m mostly active on Instagram, but you can also find me on TikTok and Pinterest~ I use ā€ells.crochetā€ as my username on all platforms.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ells.crochet/

TikTok: TikTok - Make Your Day

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/ellscrochet/

Thanks so much for being here this week Ellen, itā€™s a pleasure reading about you!


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Check out @ells.crochet

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congrats on ROTW @ellenscrochet!! your work is so cute!! :star_struck:

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Congrats!!!

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congrats!!

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congrats on rotw!!

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Congrats! Iā€™m in LOVE with your creations! The illustration and painting experience, along with your degree, really shines through xD All your pictures are super aesthetic and I adore the doodles in white and the stylization of your various makes! <3

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Congrats on ROTW! :tada:

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Congrats!

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Your patterns are so cute!!! Congrats

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Congrats!
Sadly, I only see 1 pattern on your shop, but others featured. What am I missing?

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most of those are just some of their favorite makes and (or) upcoming patterns(?)

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I went and checked, itā€™s linked on her insta.

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Thank you so much for the feature, Ribblr! šŸ«¶šŸ»

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Ah!! Thank you~ :face_holding_back_tears::sparkling_heart:

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OMG Iā€™m so happy to hear this :pleading_face::sparkling_heart: Thank you for loving my creations! šŸ«¶šŸ»šŸ«¶šŸ»

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I can only see one of your patterns- the pig roll. Btw ur patterns are SUPER CUTE :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Thank you so much!! :face_holding_back_tears::two_hearts: I have another paid pattern listed on my Ko-Fi (the link is on my Instagram) ^^ Itā€™s the Scarameow that I hold on the first picture~

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Oooh Ty!

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