It is time to introduce our first Image Overlay Crochet (IOC) collaborator for the Wrapped in Jamie CAL and founding member of the Image Overlay Crochet style: Veronika Gadulova of Tkanee
You can watch the recording of the live interview here:
or directly here:
'Kind of' Transcript
Petra: Veronika, congratulations and thank you for being our first collaborator for the Wrapped in Jamie CAL. I am so happy to welcome you as a founding member of the Image Overlay Crochet style and honoured that you joined me on this journey. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, so that our Clan can get to know you a bit better.
Veronika: I live in Ostrava, Czech Republic and I’m a mother of four kids from two to ten years of age. I’ve always sewn, crocheted or knitted. It used to be considered a “normal” skill when I grew up and my mom has taught me all the basics. Then I learned or came up with things I needed. So I have been crocheting since I was around 8 years old (I’m 37 now).
Petra: We know that thousands of people already love the Image Overlay Crochet technique, but you went a step further:
You have made some lovely designs that are compatible with the Wrapped in Jamie squares in terms of style, size, and theme. What is the inspiration behind your designs?
Veronika: I always love a distinctive design and I must admit that Petra’s style of designing was really original for me, so clear, so pretty and I immediately needed to know how it’s done, precisely because it was so different from the squares I’ve been seeing and crocheting all the time.
I joined the CAL before it even started and loved every single design and started wondering what else could be done. I was making a large blanket from the WIJ Season 1 squares and I started making up my own to fit the blanket. They were all inspired by nature and friendship and all the moments I’ve spent outdoors as a scout (I’m a scout leader).
Petra: You have kindly offered to contribute some squares to the Wrapped in Jamie CAL to benefit our makers. Please tell us a bit about your first square, Dragonfly. How did it come about?
Veronika: I’ve always loved dragonflies, they felt like they were from a fairytale. Whenever I’d meet one, the time would stop. They seem to be still in the air but to accomplish that they have to make an enormous effort. Like Claire – from the moment she left Jaime at the stones, she had to make an effort to live, to go on and she managed to seem OK and calm. But on the inside it was not so. Like a dragonfly. The square design itself is inspired by the intertwined lines of their destinies as well as by the Celtic knot visuals.
Petra: Dragonfly is an exceptionally beautiful square that requires some attention. You even invented a new stitch technique: stitches from the opposite side. How did you come up with that kind of stitch and why?
Veronika: In designing my squares I tend to draw pictures, not just symbols and so I needed to be able to draw (crochet) a round shape from both sides and I found out that the classic position of the hook doesn’t give me the option. So I had to figure out how to do it. The trick is really simple 🙂
Petra: You have also designed a new border for your Wrapped in Jamie square contributions. What is the story behind the border?
Veronika: The border is called Plants and Herbs and refers to Claire’s healing knowledge as well as the countryside and nature that plays a big part in Diana Gabaldon’s stories.
Petra: Crochet is only part of your craft skill set. What is another of your yarn passions?
Veronika: Weaving is the latest of my craftsy passions. It completed all the other ones and I weave mostly babywearing wraps. I love the textures and almost endless possibilities of handwoven material.
Petra: We will talk more about your other designs for the Wrapped in Jamie CAL shortly. Would you like to give our audience a little teaser/hint of what they are about?
Veronika: It’s all about nature and the strength it gives the main characters.
Petra: The Wrapped in Jamie squares are not your only designs and you have gone beyond the square. You have created a lovely pattern bundle with such intriguging pattern names like Morning Star, Evening Star, Starflake and Poinsettia. Why did you choose a different shape?
Veronika: As your question revealed, I love stars (and also snowflakes) and a perfect shape for a star-like pattern is of course a hexagon. But the hexagons have been a bit of a challenge as there are not that many patterns out there with simple crochets for the basic layer so again I made my own. I’ve created a series called The Frozen Christmas and it consists of four patterns that can be made according to their difficulty (Evening Star, Starflake, Morning Star and Poinsettia) and serve as a learning process. There will also be a way to put them together and into a blanket.
Petra: Where can your patterns be found?
Veronika: On my web www.tkanee.cz but they are also on my Ravelry designer page https://www.ravelry.com/designers/veronika-gadulova, so it is really easy to find them.
Petra: Veronika, I believe I speak for you too as a founding member of what has started out as ‘Petranese’, but has now been re-named to Image Overlay Crochet or IOC for short, that we hope this is going to become known and recognised as a new and exciting style of crochet. Do you have a few words for people interested in diving a bit deeper and becoming featured makers, testers, editors, charters or even other designers who might consider becoming collaborators as well?
Veronika: Go for it!! It’s fun and it gives you many new opportunities design-wise. You will have a lot of backup from Petra and me and the people who already support the community. Let’s make the world prettier with our designs and more people happy with what they can create.
Petra: Veronika, thank you for the interview!
