MEET BRENDA
I was born and raised in the beautiful Mississippi River Valley in northwestern Illinois, where I met and married my husband, Carl. After raising four children there, we received quite a surprise in 2002 when Carl's job was transferred to northeastern Indiana, approximately 350 miles away. But, it has been a good move for us and we are still close enough to make frequent trips back home to visit friends and family.
Crochet has fascinated me since I was a very small. I remember sitting beside my mother for hours on end watching her as she created doilies and rugs to decorate our home. When she saw how interested I was in what she was doing, she gave me a blue plastic crochet hook and a ball of hot pink worsted weight yarn and taught me the chain stitch. Soon, I had yards and yards of chains that I wasn't quite sure what to do with but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm for making them.
When my children were small, I began dabbling in crochet
design. At first, it was just for my own amusement and satisfaction.
Then, I began entering my designs in our local county fair and was
encouraged when they started winning blue ribbons and best of show
awards. My
family encouraged me to submit my designs for publication, and so I did.
I sold my first one a short time later. It didn't take long to realize
that this was more than a hobby for me, especially when I started placing designs
consistently.
After a 17-year career in crochet design, I was offered a position
as crochet editor for Dynamic Resource Group (DRG) in 2004. I worked in
a variety of capacities there, but my favorite was editing the digest
magazines, Hooked on Crochet!, Annie's Hooked on Crochet! and
Annie's Favorite Crochet.
In January of 2008, I returned once again to the world of crochet
design, where I have been busy behind the scenes creating new designs
for your enjoyment and mine. Some are already beginning to appear in
print, but I have a lot more in store for you, so keep watching!
Oh, by the way...I recently came across that same blue plastic crochet
hook that my mother gave me to learn to crochet with all those years
ago. While its worth can't be measured in terms of money, the fond
memories it brings back makes it one of the most highly prized hooks in
my collection! :-)
Brenda
Professional Member CGOA
Brenda Stratton
Freelance Writer, Editor, Crochet Designer
My Blog
Are you Interested
in launching a
career in crochet design? Stop by my blog and follow the posts
tagged
The Business of
Crochet Design.
