Pattern Testing with @LittleWorldofWhimsy
Today’s Tester Tuesday profile is our very first amigurumi pattern designer! Julia of @littleworldofwhimsy has a unique perspective to share about pattern testing in the amigurumi world. I admittedly have never tested an amigurumi pattern, and now I am super intrigued. I really enjoyed learning more about her journey, so please enjoy this interview and then head to her Instagram page to show her some support! ♡
Tell us about your maker journey!
Although I’ve always been a crafter and a creator, I came to fiber arts relatively late. I remember seeing amigurumi (before I knew what they were called) around on the internet and on Etsy previously and being fascinated with them, but being extremely intimidated to try because I had never explored fiber arts before and assumed that I wouldn’t be able to create something that looked so complex. Around a year ago, I found a few accounts on Instagram that featured amigurumi in styles that I was instantly drawn to — with clean, clear lines, super cute faces, and chubby round bodies. I knew that I had to try to learn how to make them so I went to Michael’s the next day and got my first skeins of yarn and hooks. I even remember buying plastic tapestry needles not knowing that they’re incredibly awful for sewing amigurumi together!
After that, I crocheted every pattern that I could get my hands on, but after a while it became a little tiring to hunt all over the internet to try to find amigurumi in the exact style or shape that I wanted them to be. I also viewed amigurumi and crochet as a creative art form to express my other obsessions (books, food… anything, really!), and was attracted to the idea of being able to design characters that were my aesthetic exactly.
Getting my business started was a lot of hard work in the beginning, with setting up my blog from scratch, learning how to manage a seemingly infinite parade of social media platforms, and streamlining my process of pattern testing and publishing. When I first started it, all my systems were extremely rudimentary with only the bare bones, which I improved upon every time I published a new pattern. Since then, in addition to building a library of over thirty patterns in just over half a year, I’ve also established partnerships with companies both large and small, secured publications in magazines, and collaborated with other designers. Although it’s beyond what I had ever imagined starting out, I definitely still feel imposter syndrome a lot! There’s always more to learn and although my company tests my patience it definitely never gets old.
When did you make your first amigurumi? Tell us a little about that experience!
My first amigurumi was a whale, made just over a year ago! I feel that that’s a pretty basic answer, but it looked easy enough to me and was absolutely adorable. I’m someone who’s much more motivated by results than the process itself, so I remember jumping into the whale itself before even bothering to learn what a single crochet or double crochet was. That’s definitely not what I would recommend a beginner to do, since I didn’t even really know how to hold a hook and yarn, but I was so motivated by that project that I finished it within two days even though I restarted it at least five times.
When did you design your first amigurumi pattern? What was the transition like from making amigurumi to designing your own?
I started designing my first amigurumi a few months after I started crocheting! That might sound really fast, but the fact is that the basic construction of amigurumi are all very similar and by that point I’d made enough to get a handle of the basic shapes. Actually, part of the reason I knew that I wanted to start designing amigurumi was when I realized that I was getting pretty bored from following patterns and felt that I might be able to predict what might come next.
When I finished my first amigurumi (a pretty basic looking bunny), I literally couldn’t believe my eyes that it had turned out looking like an actual animal. It was also a train wreck of a pattern, since I had no idea about which formatting I should use and had to create the whole structure from scratch.
Even though the first one was a minor disaster, I was definitely addicted! I’m not generally someone who has many outlets for a lot of creative freedom, so I felt really excited that this was something that I could do.
When did you first start to have your amigurumi patterns tested? Why do you think it is important to get amigurumi patterns tested? What are the benefits of doing so?
Actually, every single one of my patterns has been tested! (Including that terrible first one…)
At the beginning of my designing journey, I wasn’t very confident in my patterns, with good reason, and I really wanted to be able to check to make sure my pattern was accessible and helpful to someone who didn’t write the pattern.
That’s still one of the main reasons I want to get my patterns tested, especially if I’m using a technique that requires a lot of explanation or has some tricky spots. During the testing process I’ve been able to make videos of confusing areas that I’ll link to the pattern later, so my testers are really valuable in helping me pick out the areas that need extra description.
The second main reason is that I always, without fail, make at least one typo in my pattern. A few times I’ve felt really confident about a pattern, especially if it’s relatively straightforward, and then my tester will pick out a typo or two and I’ll just be so grateful that I wasn’t overconfident. So I absolutely adore all my testers and am so glad for their generosity and support!
Do you prefer testers with an extensive amigurumi background or would you be open to makers who typically make things like garments and accessories?
Although it’s great to see amigurumi in someone’s “portfolio,” general proficiency and interest in crocheting is already great since a lot of the skills overlap. I always want my patterns to be as beginner friendly as possible, so it can be helpful to have the opinion of someone who may not necessarily have as much experience. I try to balance out the levels in my tester groups, so it’s great to have someone with more experience and someone else with less experience!
Of course, I definitely encourage anyone who is interested to try amigurumi if they wish, and would love to be able to walk a new amigurumist through that process!
What is one piece of advice you'd like to offer to pattern testers who may want to test amigurumi patterns?
I would say jump right in and don’t be afraid to ask questions! My favorite thing about the testing process is that it’s more of a collaboration than anything, and I love being able to actively help testers with both my pattern and learning amigurumi techniques in general. Being communicative is more fun and more helpful for both of us, and that’s why so many of my testers have become my friends by the end :)
What's next for @LittleWorldofWhimsy?!
Hopefully lots of exciting things! I’m hosting an amigurumi CAL for a mini heart cactus over on Furls’ blog beginning on the 4th, and I also have a super cute lion pattern coming out in Crochet Now magazine in late March! This year, I hope to create designs in more cohesive collections and themes, including more dolls and food related projects! :)
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Thank you for reading this interview with Julia of @LittleWorldofWhimsy!
Be sure to check out her blog, Etsy shop, and Instagram for more information.
Interested in testing for her? She has a tester application here too!
