Come on in!

Welcome to my blog, make yourself comfy. Tea? Coffee? ...Mimosa? I won't judge. Go on, pour me one too. Settle in, pull out your WIP and let's have ourselves a cosy chat then, shall we?

Alright, I'll go first. I'm Pony McTate.

I'm a crochet designer from New Zealand and crochet is my absolute jam. It's the best thing in the world. Isn't it? I love it. The planning, the doing, the reworking because you missed a few stitches while a damp Mr Darcy was slopping about in a lake (ooooh *shivers*), the satisfaction of weaving in that last end. Well, the first one. I tend to give up on my ends after that, and I suspect I’m not alone.

My favourite part of the whole crochet process is that little lightbulb moment you get at the start. The “oh my gosh, I have the best idea EVER” moment when you decide that a full bodysuit, in mohair, in shades of mustard, is exactly what you need in your life right now. It might come about because you’ve seen something cool online, or because you’ve just squished a new yarn in your local yarn store or – most often for me – it comes on you like a sledgehammer, belting out of nowhere in the middle of the night. I love that surge of creative energy, that excitement, when anything is possible.

I’m hoping that this blog will be a place that generates that kind of crochet excitement for you.

I want it to be a space where I share fun interesting stuff that you will find useful and inspirational. There will be how-to tutorials, book reviews, yarn squishing, spotlights on techniques, free patterns, interviews with your favourite crochet heroes, guest bloggers, behind-the-scenes mayhem, advice on crochet-friendly snacks (“chopsticks keep the chocolate off your fingers!”). Scary vintage patterns from the 70s, because everyone likes a giggle at scratchy orange hotpants. Maybe crochet biz resources too? How to write patterns, how to sell them and why publishing your own crochet book is really, really hard but awesomely fulfilling. And it will all be in my usual engaging, humorous style. No dry boring formality round here, folks. It will be for all levels of crocheters - inspiration and guidance for newbies just starting out, as well as more advanced techniques and discussions for those with well-worn crochet-hook calluses.  There will be something for everyone and room to learn new skills. Including me.

All presented in a fresh, clean, easy way. Bold, with a generous splash of colour and a flagrant disregard for propriety. With lots of step-by-step photos where required. This is where you’ll find the cool and the contemporary, the peculiar and the pretty.

And, since she’s such an integral part of the system, there will be Stampy.

Stampy, for those new to the Pony McTate stable, is our cat. She is podgy, has the grammable good looks of a young Elizabeth Taylor, the go-getting attitude of a broken dishwasher and she likes to sleep inconveniently. She gets involved in everything we do (glitter craft, bathing, *ahem* "Mummy-and-Daddy" time, the creepo), whether you want her there or not. OR NOT. But I know not everyone out there is a cat person so I’ll try to only post about her when it’s relevant. Or when my engagement stats are lagging. She’s good for that.

Get involved.

I love it when you guys get involved! The crochet crowd are a lovely bunch of people with so much to share. So jump onto the comments and tell me what you think. Questions? Suggestions? Your experiences? I welcome your input. Or get in touch with me via my contact form if you'd prefer. What would you like to see? Is there a yarn/particular stitch/book/gingerbread man recipe you’d like to know more about?

Hit me up, team. I can't wait to embark on this crochet adventure with you all.

Another mimosa?