April Garwood began designing in 2010 when she was expecting her fourth daughter. Her first pattern was a crochet baby dress that she made for a special church ceremony. She’s published more than 50 patterns since and has even begun expanding into knit design.
April’s Punch Pillow, is a new pattern featured in the special issue of Crochet! Magazine: From Scraps to Sensational. The colorful pillowcase is actually crocheted in a single shade of Berroco Weekend DK. The front and back pieces are worked separately and seamed, then colorwork is added through slip stitches. It’s a great project for using up your yarn scraps and a nice accessory for adding a “punch” of color to your surroundings.
When did you learn to knit/crochet?
My sister taught me to crochet around 25 years ago, and I have taught myself how to knit with the help of books and YouTube videos over the last 2-3 years.
How did you come up with this pattern?
This particular issue was meant to focus on outstanding projects that could be made with small amounts of scrap yarn. I thought of surface slip stitching as a neat technique that can be done with small lengths of yarn. It makes a stiff fabric, and the back of the fabric doesn’t look very nice, so I wanted this to be a project that would benefit from a heavier fabric and that would keep the wrong side hidden.
Did you design it for anyone in particular?
It’s not made for a particular person, but I think when I get the model back we may have to have a rock, paper, scissors tournament to decide which of my girls gets to have it!
If you could knit/crochet something for anyone in the world, it would be…?
If I could crochet or knit something for anyone, I’d find a way to send a project back in time for my grandma or great-grandma. I have handmade treasures from both of them and I love the connection I feel to them through those heirlooms. If only I could have made something for them.
What is your favorite thing about knitting/crocheting?
I love how I can play with color when I make things. It is magical the way colors can come together to look so beautiful. When I design, I love when I hit on something that I know is a great idea and then get to bring it to life!
Do you have a cool design you want to share? Or did you recently finish a project with Berroco yarn? You can email Ashley: apalumbo@berroco.com or post it to the Berroco Lovers forum in Ravelry.