Lookbook #31 - GRANNY'S LOOKBOOK

MEET CLAUDIA

Hi, my name is Claudia Aaldijk and I live in Raamsdonksveer, a little village in the south of the Netherlands. I am married to Martin and we have a son named Lars. I have always been creative, around the age of six I learned to crochet from one of my grandmothers and knitting from the other one. At the age of 10 I lost interest in knitting and crochet and I started drawing, later also painting and I started to sew my own clothes. During my financial studies I always wanted to make my own stuff instead of studying, so it took me a long time to get my degrees (but I finally did ;-) ).

In 2002 we bought an old house from before 1900, so all my creativity went in rebuilding and redecorating the house. When in 2013 our son Lars was born, I started to blog about interior decoration stuff (www.goodlives.nl), I also started to knit and crochet again, mostly items for in my house. Later I started posting pictures on Instagram with colorful crocheted items on @cottonandcandlesnl

Color and combining colors makes me happy. Soft pastel shades, combined with a bright accent. Sweet combined with cool. A little quirky. Old combined with new... Mixing and matching is characteristic for me. I always add with a bright touch, so that it is in balance. Making color combinations is what I love most about starting a new project!

But I also like basic DIY projects, and they didn’t fit in between the colorful items, so I made a third Instagram account named @okariconcepts. My knitting and crochet became everyday hobbies and I started with designing my own patterns. I was really excited when Yarn and Colors asked me to make a design for one of their lookbooks. I hope to make many more designs in the future.

You can see more of my work on my blog www.cottonandcandles.nl and on my Instagram pages @okariconcepts and @cottonandcandlesnl

MEET JANTINE

Hi, I'm Jantine Flach (1995). I am married to my dearest husband and we have two children: Ninthe and Jelte. In daily life I used to work as a kindergarten teacher, but a year ago I switched careers and now I have a daycare from home.

During the pregnancy of my oldest, in 2016, I started crocheting, because I didn't have much to do. Pretty soon I started to adapt patterns to my own wishes, and that's how I quickly got into pattern design. In 2018 I was allowed to participate in the Dutch crochet competition of Yarnplaza: 'de HaakSTER' of the Netherlands, and in 2019 I started designing all kinds of patterns for a Dutch crochet community ‘Gek op Haken’. I still enjoy doing that.

My favorite experience was designing crochet patterns for my own Dutch crochet book 'Vrolijke Granny Squares Haken’ (translated: ‘Crocheting Happy Granny Squares'). What a joy it was to work on that! My book has only just been released, in May 2022.

I like cheerful, colorful crochet projects. On my Instagram and Facebook (@vrolijkhaakmeisje), my blog (vrolijkhaakmeisje.blogspot.com) and on YouTube (Vrolijk Haakmeisje) I regularly show what I crochet and design.

MEET JORINA

“My love for crochet and colors defines me”

I am Jorina, 29 years old. Together with my husband and dog I live in a small village in Zeeland, called Arnemuiden. 9 years ago I started crocheting and since then I am hooked. When I started crocheting I didn’t think I was creative at all! As soon as I realized how crochet worked I went completely crazy and discovered the creativity in myself. You will find color and crochet hooks everywhere in my clothing nd interior. It is who I am!

You’ll find my makes on Facebook and Instagram @dehaakbubbel. This year my name has changed from @crochetrainbowtales to @dehaakbubbel. ‘De Haakbubbel’ is Dutch for ‘Crochet Bubble’. It stands for taking time for yourself, nothing is needed and everything is allowed. A place where time seems to stand still. For me ‘de Haakbubbel’ also means a creative place bursting with inspiration! With this inspiration I wrote a book this year which is called ‘Haken in all kleuren’ (translated: 'Crochet in all Colors'. My book contains lots of patterns to give your home a colorful makeover.

With the projects I make I want to make you feel happy, make you feel happy and make your day beautiful! Hope you enjoy!

MEET DORIEN

Hi, I'm Dorien, married to Hans, mother of Corijn, Sebas & Cato and I'm always creative! As a child I loved watching my mother crochet, knit or sew and crochet. I crocheted my first potholder. It was only 10 years ago I really became addicted to crochet. I love doing many things: needle punching, working on a new illustration/design or painting. I often share this on Instagram where you can find me as @pop_i_dots

You make me happy with beach houses in pastel colors, a street full of differently colored houses and front doors, tiles with beautiful motifs, a visit to a museum, a garden full of flowers and the beautiful packaging in a foreign supermarket. I like to go on holiday to colorful destinations and then start new projects full of inspiration. Combining bright colors with black and white is my all time favorite. This gives a nice graphic effect.

For this lookbook I designed a beach bag made of granny squares in summery colors with the yarn Gentle from Yarn and Colors. Wonderful to crochet with this recycled yarn. Have fun crocheting and have a nice summer!

MEET JOLANDA

“Color, color and more color. Oh how I love color!

My name is Jolanda and I come from Ermelo, a village in the Netherlands. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook as @_naald5. I've always had much love for color. It probably will not surprise you that I once dyed my hair in all the colors of the rainbow. At that time I was also called the "Rainbow teacher" at work. In daily life I work in the swimming pool in Ermelo as a swimming lesson coordinator. Swimming lessons, aqua jogging, trim swimming - you name it and I'll do it. I feel like a fish in water.

Besides my work I like to be creative, my main hobby being crochet. I started with that in 2008. With a book, ball and a crochet hook from my mother I taught myself to crochet using patterns.

I crocheted for hours on end: during breaks at work, in the pub, at festivals and on the train. Everywhere I went my balls of yarn came with me. Together with a friend, I started crocheting bedspreads to order via the internet, under the name "Crochet in Progress". We had a waiting list of 8 months and once every 2 weeks a 1 or 2 person bedspread rolled off our needles. We crochet most projects with crochet hook 5 and so our follow-up name ‘Naald5’ was born.

In 2018 I took the plunge and registered for the competition "De Haakster van Nederland" via Wolplein/Yarnplaza. I made it to the finals and ended up second. For me this was the first experience with making and writing patterns. It's so cool to come up with a project, convert it into a pattern and then make a lot of people happy with it.

I fell immediately in love when the yarns from Yarn and Colors came onto the market. The beautiful bright colors really appeal to me! Working with Yarn and Colors as a designer is really a dream come true. In the past I have worked with them on lookbook #11 – the Sunny Side of Autumn. When they asked me to work on a blanket for the Blankets Blankets Blankets lookbook I didn’t have to think twice. And now my third design is here: Granny’s Diamond Cushion.

Have fun with my colorful designs and share your work on social media with #yarnandcolors.