Jamie and Merion meet the FABULOUS Lauren Willis, aka Manatee Squares, to chat about her new, gorgeous book, Filet Crochet to Wear, from David & Charles.

Loz, as she’s known, chats about her love of crochet, maths and her beloved lurchers, Wally and Roxy, and how filet crochet became a favourite technique.

This hilarious episode travels from Pokemon to dog grooming, via the trauma of making Instagram reels, taking photos of herself and her favourite colours - inclusive sizing, writing patterns, where to sell them and what has worked and what hasn’t. It’s a really illuminating chat if you love Lauren’s work, but also a great inspiration if you’re a crochet designer starting out!

You won’t be surprised that Merion is even more of a superfan by the end….

You can find Lauren on her website, Manatee Squares and on instagram here.

Timestamps:

00:00 From Pokémon to Filet Crochet

03:02 Embracing Inclusive Sizing

08:03 The Art of Fillet Crochet

24:47 Making Patterns Your Own

25:34 The Struggles of Taking Photos and Posing

26:31 Colour Preferences and Design Choices

28:19 Selling Patterns on Multiple Platforms

38:01 Insights from Dog Grooming

50:33 The Bond Between Dog Groomers and Dogs

51:07 Trends in the Dog Grooming Industry

54:09 The Origin of 'Manatee Squares'

58:42 Future Plans and Secret Projects

01:06:33 Favourite Ice Cream Flavours and Films

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