Megan from Crochet At Play
Pattern directories are the best way for fellow crocheters and bloggers to get their name and their work in the public eye. Some pattern directories are run by companies but most have started out as websites owned by individual crochet enthusiasts. One of those directories is Crochet At Play.
Crochet At Play (and its sister site Knitting At Play) were designed by married couple Megan and Matthew in December 2012 and has grown quickly thanks to user contributions.
Megan and Matthew strive to make sure their blog is very user friendly and that it doesn’t contain any broken links. I love working with Megan, she has been so helpful during my blogging journey and she is always super professional and friendly.
Megan and Matthew have recently added their new blog At Play Blog to the the Crochet At Play network. The blog will be featuring fellow crochet bloggers and their free patterns. It is super easy to submit your patterns to the directory. The site also features a new Designer profile page.
You can contact Megan by her website Crochet At Play. If you are interested in sharing your patterns on the directory or being a guest blogger on their new blog just let her know and she’ll get back to you soon.
Lets get to know Megan
1- how long have you been crocheting?
It has been so long I do not even know the year. Sometime around 8th grade my best friends Mom taught us both how to crochet and helped us make our first blanket. There were a lot of dropped stitches and my sewing technique was interesting to say the least. Somehow the blanket ended up in the hands of my first boyfriend and was lost during the great break up of sophomore year.
2- Tell us about your new blog?
At Play will be a supplement to the websites www.crochetatplay.com where you can find over 23,000 free crochet patterns and www.knittingatplay.com which has over 15,000 free knitting patterns. We plan to feature free patterns, blogger spot lights and other updates to get pattern designers as much publicity as possible. More than likely you’ll also see my current projects and crafting mishaps, they happen frequently around here. If bloggers would like to be highlighted they just need to send an email from our contact button on either site or the blog.
3- what are your favorite items to make?
It seems to vary depending on where I am in life. I did blankets for quite a while because they are just big dishcloths and I could practice many different stitches. After my son was born in 2010 I designed a ton of hats. Each month he had his picture taken wearing a different one of my styles, I plan to use these pictures as blackmail once he’s older. I’m sure at least one is bound to end up in his senior yearbook. Currently I’ve been working on play food to fill his kitchen with lots of goodies. I’m trying to post current projects on instagram at http://instagram.com/meganatplay
4- what is your favorite thing about crocheting and or blogging?
Since starting Crochet At Play just a few short months ago I have had the pleasure of connecting with so many people it is overwhelming. It really is all the amazing people who have left messages on the facebook page or sent me emails that keep me going when things get stressful.
5- what are your favorite yarns (brands or types) to work with
I have a soft spot for Vanna White’s collection, but I end up loving it so much it normally ends up in a tub to be used on just that special project. I think everyone including myself knows there will never be a project special enough to use up that yarn, but just in case I can’t risk it by using it on something less than awesome.
My every day yarn is normally a version of something red heart. Especially now that I am making play food I prefer to keep it slightly cheaper as I never really know if or when my two year old will decide to find out if his crochet green beans can be flushed down the toilet. They can; just in case you were wondering.
6- what made you decide to start your own blog?
In December of 2012 I found the internet was missing a place to find not only older free crochet patterns but also a place that was updated frequently with patterns from all over the internet. After talking my husband into building me a database I started listing every pattern I could find and such was born Crochet At Play. Soon after came Knitting At Play, then the blog and soon we’ll have another amazing announcement to make with a whole new database. I want all of our sites and the blog to be a place for designers to get the word out about the spectacular things they are creating every day. My dream is to become a central hub for designers and pattern seekers to meet and share ideas.
7- What else do you do
Crochet At Play – www.crochetatplay.com has over 23,000 FREE crochet patterns available to anyone.
Knitting At Play – www.knittingatplay.com has over 15,000 FREE knitting patterns available to anyone
Our sites both highlight a featured pattern of the day and have a recently added page where users can find all the patterns added over the last 21 days. We also have designer pages for other bloggers to highlight where thing patterns and information can be found. We link directly to the blog or site that list the pattern making sure to funnel our traffic right to the original creator. No patterns are actually stored on our site.
8- Tell me a little something about your personal life… kids, family, pets, etc.
We are a pretty typical boring American family. Matt and I were married in 2007 after about 5 years of dating; in 2010 we had our son Owen and things have been interesting since then. He’s very independent and not afraid to tell it like it is when needed, I’m sure the blog will feature many stories about his antics. We also have an adorably fluffy dog, which we consider our first child, B.P.
You can find updates from our sites at the following links
Crochet At Play Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CrochetAtPlay
Knitting At Play Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KnittingAtPlay
Our blog: blog.crochetatplay.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/meganatplay
Twitter: www.twitter.com/meganatplay
I want to thank Megan for all her help with getting my free crochet patterns out there… be sure to check out Crochet At Play for lots of free crochet patters. Contact Megan if you would like to feature your patterns or blog on the Crochet At Play directory or to be featured on the new At Play Blog