Say hello to Kira @CrochetCritters04 - our new Ribblr of the Week and designer behind Crafty Crochet Critters! 
Tell us a little about yourself:
Hi, all! My name is Kira, and I am the 21 year old mad designer behind Crafty Crochet Critters! I love comic books, fantasy and science fiction novels, wolves, my cats, and archaeology - in fact, it is my goal to be an Egyptologist in the future! And, of course, I love all things crafty! From crochet to weaving, cosplay to cross stitch, beadwork to sewing, and everything in between, if it involves my hands and creativity, I enjoy it!
When did you start crafting and how?
Well, I have been creating pretty much my whole life! The earliest memories I have of crafting are of sitting at the dining room table painting holiday decorations with my mother, as a small toddler. From there, it moved on to bracelet making, which became a charity endeavor for March of Dimes a few years later. I became addicted to the power of creating, and it just spiraled from there into a million hobbies! My first experience of fiber arts wasn’t until much later, though. I had always admired the crochet blankets and stockings that my great aunts and great grandmother had made, and wished I could do the same, but didn’t think I would ever be able to. Finally at 18, having graduated the year before and feeling a bit lost, I taught myself the basics of crochet with YouTube videos. I was instantly hooked (pun intended), and I haven’t been without a skein of yarn in hand since!
And how did you start designing?
I started designing about a year into my crochet journey. I love turtles, and I really wanted a rainbow turtle plushie, but when I looked at patterns online, none of them were what I was envisioning, so I just made my own! There were lots of issues with it, but I loved it too much to care. One day, I plan on revisiting that pattern and bringing it up to my current standard so that I can share it with everyone else. But for now, I am having lots of fun bringing new ideas to life instead!
Do you have a favorite craft type and if so - why?
That’s a tough one! I have so many hobbies, and love them all equally, but for differing reasons! I suppose right now, my two favorites would have to be crocheting and rigid heddle weaving. However, that is subject to change as my hyperfixations fluctuate!
What was the most memorable project you worked on?
Definitely Fred the Octopus! I made him for a community arts fundraiser held by a local art gallery in my area, and ended up winning Best in Show. He was quite the challenge to make with many tears of frustration included, but he was certainly worth it!
What are you currently working on? Be honest - how many WIP do you have right now?
Oh, you would ask that 
. This will change by the time this is posted, but currently… let’s see, a polecat, a Christmas gift for my mom, a Christmas gift for my dad, a cow, a crochet scarf, a knit scarf, a pair of baby pants, a fursuit paw, a loom knit hat… That’s 9 works in progress. And that doesn’t even include my inactive wips that are currently hiding in a drawer! Or non fiber related projects!
Which of your makes/designs are you most proud of? Share a picture!
Hmmm… I actually don’t normally like the things I make, because I can see all the little mistakes in them that no one else can! But if I had to choose my three favorites, they would be my Dreaming Dragon, which was part of my Anti A.I. campaign, the Highland Cow I made for my first market, and all of the items I have made for charity over the past two years!
What is your usual process of designing?
Once I have an idea in mind, I roughly sketch it out in IbisPaintX, and divide that sketch into two parts - the whole plushie, and the individual pieces. Sometimes I analyze the pieces and make notes about what techniques I think will make the right shape, but other times I just dive right in! I usually write down my pattern in either my Notes app, or my special notebook (which has so many crossed out pages of failed patterns!). Once I am completely done designing, I then transfer the pattern into Ribbuild, and finally sew everything together, which is my least favorite step!
Any favorite song, book or movie you would like to recommend?
I am currently obessed with all of Sleep Token’s music right now, and think everyone should check them out! My favorite movie is Jumanji (r.i.p. Robin Williams). I read non stop, so it is a bit hard for me to pick one favorite book, but I love Sabriel by Garth Nix, and am currently making my way through the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson.
What is your favorite feature on Ribblr?
It is so hard to choose! But I really love how easy it is to create and format my patterns in Ribbuild, and I love how easy it is to share and manage tester calls.
What socials can folks find you on?
I don’t have any social media accounts at the moment, but I do have a website and a blog! This is my website: https://craftycrochetcritters.fws.store/ And this is my blog: https://craftycrochetcritters.wordpress.com/
Which 3 - 5 designers/patterns on Ribblr are your favorite?
Oh gosh, there are so many wonderful designers on here! @Citraandizzy has the cutest little creatures, including a jumping spider that won even me over! @Centara has such a wide array of underrated patterns, from mystery patterns and the sweetest kid creations, to awe inspiring dragons! @craftycellist has so many patterns that are perfect for both gift giving and market prepping, and though she could easily charge a mint for them, they’re all free! @LexaLovelyCrafts has patterns straight of a fantasy novel! Every time I see a new pattern from her, I am transported right back to the pages of my childhood. In addition, these designers I have mentioned are some of the sweetest people you will ever meet! Please go shower them all with love and support!
Thanks so much for being here Kira, it was a pleasure to read about you!
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Congrats on ROTW!
love your designs in particular the octopus in the sea 
