Say hello to Lea (@Kouzikrafts)- our new Ribblr of the Week and the designer behind Kouzi Krafts
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m Lea, but you’ll see me go by Kouzi Krafts. My business name comes from my last name Kouzios and i love a good play on words. I am a 26 year old mom with a background in hairstyling and intelligence analytics. I’ve naturally always bounced around between different styles of careers before truly settling into the world of design and small business owning.
When did you start crafting and how?
I started crafting from a young age, I always loved the arts. In high school they even made art classes for me to take after i had already taken all that were offered! My great grandma taught me how to knit when i was 11, and i was always so embarrassed to share my love for fibers with my peers. I was always a very beginner level knitter and i held onto that for quite a few years on and off. Fast forward to the 2020 COVID outbreak, I taught myself how to crochet and I’ve been continuing to enjoy it since.
And how did you start designing?
I initially wasn’t really sure that I wanted to design, but i attempted my first run at designing in mid 2022. I quickly reflected on my experience and decided to shelf designing for a while until i felt more confident with my skills and my style as a brand and designer. I think going through that really helped me to refine myself as a creator and provide more polished and successful designs later on in 2023 when i jumped back in and released Yara the Yeti, who has just made her way onto Ribblr!
What has been the most memorable project you worked on?
My most memorable and slightly regrettable project has been my giant pizza blanket. The pattern is from HappyCrochetLady and when i was working on it, I was in my self proclaim “jumbo” era. I decided to use blanket yarn instead of the worsted weight yarn it called for. The blanket measures 8ft by 8ft in diameter and is almost TOO big to use. It’s insanely heavy and larger than a California king sized bed. It’s a love hate relationship, but i love that i committed to doing it and it makes for a really cool picnic blanket! (Picture attached)
What are you currently working on? Be honest - how many WIP do you have right now?
Design wise, I am working on a Bigfoot design! Project wise, I really don’t know where to start. I was lucky enough to be chosen to test for Ribblr’s newest Hippo slipper pattern, which I’m so excited for! But in reality, unless I’m doing a pattern test for another designer, I like to stick to “making what makes you happy.” But as you can guess, this leads to QUITE the amount of wips. When i sit in my office, i can spin around on my chair and count easily 20+ wips.
Which of your makes/designs are you most proud of?
I’m probably the most proud of my Otis the Owl and Puff the Penguin design. This was my first design i created back in 2022 and I came back around to it in late 2023 to rework and improve the design and pattern. I have a great sense of pride that i didn’t rush myself into designing and really waited to improve my skill set before putting a less than worthy design out there. (2 pictures attached)
What is your usual process of designing? What inspires you to create/design?
I like to call myself a chaos maker because I traditionally don’t have a clear design or even creation process. I tend to be very inspired by my love of squishmallows, in fact I’ve collected so many i decided I just needed to start making my own, thus the Pudgie Buddies series of patterns I’ve created. But as far as getting an idea for a new design, I really just let them come to me. I find i get much more excited and enjoy the designing process when its an organic desire, versus a “hustle” or trying to meet a specific goal of one pattern per month, etc.
What is your favorite feature on Ribblr?
While I’ve had a ribblr account for over 4 years now, I just started really diving in and experiencing the Ribblr universe. Thanks Vincent for the gentle nudge!
I’ve been really enjoying the almost “blog” like posts, it’s really fun to get to interact on a more personal level. I also really love the journal feature under patterns, my favorite part of designing is getting to see everyone’s creations with my patterns, so that feature is really amazing to have!
Where can others find you?
You can find me on almost every social media platform, except X (twitter), as Kouzi Krafts!
Thanks so much for being here this week Lea, it’s a pleasure reading about you!
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