Etsy :: The Storque :: Spotlight :: Featured Buyer: Brett Bara, Crochet Today Editor and Stitchy TV Host

Featured Buyer: Brett Bara, Crochet Today Editor and Stitchy TV Host


Story by brettbara Published on March 5, 2008 in Spotlight	Photo by Rose Callahan

This week's Featured Buyer is the highly knowledgeable and crafty Brett Bara. By day, Brett is the editor in chief of Crochet Today magazine, and the host of the new PBS series Knit and Crochet Today — look for it on PBS stations nationwide, and on the Create cable network. By night, she's a lifelong crafter of all sorts, design fanatic, NPR superfan, and fancy cake maker. (And yes, she really did crochet that cake.)

Brett's company is also offering a reduced subscription price to Crochet Today — it's a great deal so we wanted to help spread the word! Find out more about it here.

Here's Brett.

Since it's my job to absorb all I possibly can about crochet (as well as knitting and craft trends in general), I use Etsy as a number-one resource to keep on top of what crafters are doing out there. What's cutting edge? What's still going strong as a mainstream trend? What's totally crazy?

I do all kinds of crafts, including embroidery and other needlework, sewing, cake decorating, and DIY homey stuff (I'm currently painting and/or decoupaging every surface in my apartment), but in my book, crochet stands out for its wonderful versatility. It can do anything. Chances are, if you're into Etsy, you already know that crochet is having its moment, and crafters of all calibers are picking up their hooks to make some amazing things. Here are some of my favorite Etsy crochet finds, representing all the best stuff that's happening right now with hook and yarn.

Blythe fans are doing amazing things with crochet, crafting entire wardrobes of tiny, uberstylish clothes. Seller bupu makes me want to BE Blythe so I could wear some of her outfits!

GrandmaWasAFloozy gets props for having the best seller name ever, and for putting a cool spin on an old technique, creating a sort of new millennium-Victorian thing. I love seeing crafters reinterpret antiquated methods (like this filet crochet) with their own contemporary edge.

What's better than crochet food with faces? Eternalsunshine's patterns, like this s'more, are dangerously cute. Apparently it's no fun being a s'more?

Anything that combines my two loves — crochet and birds — is a winner in my book. felted's crochet birdnest ring is adorable and clever.

Amigurumi, little crochet creatures hailing from Japan (isn't that where all wonderful cute things come from?), are one of my favorite crochet trends. This little lady from jaravee is insanely cute.

To me the best thing about crochet is its incredible versatility, and these earrings show that crochet isn't just afghans and amigurumi. baylli is clearly a rockstar!

Crochet food ? It doesn't make any sense, and maybe that's why it's so great. This cupcake from michellerheaume and bowl of berries from bloodybunny set my sweet tooth on fire.

Crochet is perfect for accessories, especially anything with exaggerated details. I love this neck wrap from seller boutiquepinkdesigns.

Respect your elders! The venerable granny deserves it! These classic squares are in the midst of a major renaissance. Everybody's doing the granny these days, and I love it. Seller AprilAdriance captures the true essence of the granny 'ghan in this piece.

The sculptural quality of crochet makes for some wonderfully avant garde pieces, such as these amazing necklaces from Kjoo.

Simple forms are also delightful in crochet, like these felted nesting bowls from projectfelt. They look like they're straight off the shelves of a high-end design shop.

Crochet has a way of bringing out the wacky and unexpected, like these great crochet bottles with an elf transfer design from JackRabbit, and the wonderfully curated crochet coral from jpolka.

I'm a sucker for the creepy crochet of days gone by, and this vintage babyface potholder from seller Sassiesue67 is the perfect example of stitchy kitsch.

Who could resist a teapot wearing pearls? (Or is that purls?) This delightful item is from seller crochetroo.

Further resources:
Crochet Today
Knit and Crochet

Thanks Brett, for pointing us to some amazing work.

Tags	Brett Bara, Crochet Today Magazine, Featured Buyer, Guest Curator, Knit and Crochet Today, shopping

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33 comments Login to add your own!

March 5, 2008 at 12:35 p.m.

projectfelt

Thank you Brettbara for featuring my felted bowls. I love all your crochet picks. Exspecially the red coral. :)

March 5, 2008 at 12:43 p.m.

PreciousMeshes

wow, such creative crochet! that coral is amazing! but don't forget crochet is not just for thread and yarn...

March 5, 2008 at 12:59 p.m.

ScottBulgerPhoto

Great article. Anybody else think she looks like Hilary Swank?

March 5, 2008 at 1:12 p.m.

susyluxe

this is one rockin treasury.

March 5, 2008 at 1:44 p.m.

Ashmead

glad to see that crochet is taking some limelight- compared to knitting, it's always been an 'underdog' craft (which is party why I embrace it!), and glad to see that people are catching on that crochet is more than just kitsch- you can do so much with crochet, its great!!!

March 5, 2008 at 1:45 p.m.

katiedoodah

Just wanted to let you know the link for "jaravee" 's shop is not working. It's missing the c in com.

March 5, 2008 at 2:04 p.m.

Shutterkate

this makes me wanna give crocheting a second shot, FO REAL!

March 5, 2008 at 2:11 p.m.

LazyTcrochet

Wonderful crocheted selection!

March 5, 2008 at 2:32 p.m.

missbatch

Beautiful selections! That cake is amazing too. Thanks for the inspiration.

March 5, 2008 at 2:38 p.m.

memekiwii

how cool are those leg warmers?!?!

March 5, 2008 at 2:44 p.m.

Timeless

So nice to feature Brett Bara this (inter?)National Crochet Month!

I've only recently started to learn to crochet and am loving it!

March 5, 2008 at 2:47 p.m.

scrapsnthings

Thanks so much for mentioning crochet on the front page. I'm not sure if my shop was mentioned, but I had TONS (compared to other days) :) of people pop into my shop today. My dishcloth brights are selling like hotcakes...so, thanks!

www.scrapsnthings.etsy.com

March 5, 2008 at 2:49 p.m.

EternalSunshine

I'm always glad to see crochet get some attention! And thanks for featuring my s'more!

March 5, 2008 at 3:27 p.m.

bethela

Love your picks!

March 5, 2008 at 4:06 p.m.

ThePaintedTiger

What a fun collection! I'd like to invite you to do something similar with Knits and Hand Dyed and Hand Spun yarns.

March 5, 2008 at 4:52 p.m.

pdxbeanies

Hooray for crochet! I totally agree with you Ashmead... It really is the "underdog" compared to knitting... I always love it when someone sees me crocheting and says, "oh, you knit?" and I say, "nope, I don't even know how." :o)

March 5, 2008 at 5:27 p.m.

CraftedFromTheHeart

It's nice to see crocheting receiving this attention. It's a love of mine and always will be.

March 5, 2008 at 6:05 p.m.

mykonos

Oh gosh!! All work are amazing!!

March 6, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.

saraaires

This is a great selection, you definitely hit the spot with this article! I crochet since maybe 4, 5 years old... It was my first crafting technique. I don't know if that is why I'm so addicted to it. :) One thing I could say, there is nowhere you can't go with crochet. Hooray for the most free form of crafting!

March 6, 2008 at 9:29 a.m.

GrandmaWasAFloozy

Wow, I'm all a tingle! Thanks, Brett, for including me in this fantastic group. I love the way you described my work - I couldn't have said it better myself. But I have to shout out to two of my favorite shops:

You should check out the defibrillator-worthy work of irregularexpressions
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=...

And MY favorite shop name - and an amazing shop - is the hilarious Damselinthisdress.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=...

March 6, 2008 at 10:02 a.m.

brettbara

hey everybody, thanks for all the great comments! I'm so surprised to hear that people *still* feel like crochet is the underdog. What's up with that?! I guess we just have to keep spreading crochet fever...

March 20, 2008 at 10:03 a.m.