Hispanic Heritage Month 2013 Interview Series: Karla Sandoval from Cute Little Crafts

I’m thrilled to kick off my second annual Hispanic Heritage Month interview series today with Karla Sandoval, a Mexican crochet designer.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links.

Karla can be found online at the Cute Little Crafts blog (where she hosts her free patterns), her Etsy shop, her Facebook page, and on Ravelry (as CuteLittleCrafts and on her Ravelry designer page).

All photos are (c) Karla Sandoval and are used with her permission. Click on the pattern images to be brought to the listing in Karla’s shop.

Karla Sandoval.
Karla Sandoval.

Underground Crafter (UC): How did you learn to crochet?

Karla: I learned about seven years ago, mostly from watching videos on the internet.

UC: What inspired you to start designing?

Karla: Many times I had a particular idea of what I wanted to make, and I never could find a pattern for it, so I started designing my own, and after that I began to write them down.

Owl Tote Bag

UC: Most of your patterns are for home decor items. What appeals to you about crocheting for the home?

Karla: I like the idea of creating something that is going to be eco friendly, durable, and less expensive than store bought items.

UC: All of your current patterns are self-published. What do you enjoy about being a self-published designer? What are some of the challenges?

Karla: Well, what I enjoy is that I don´t have a deadline to come up with more patterns, I design only when I have time.

And the challenges I would say, are getting noticed and promoting my own work.

Perfect Market Bag

UC: You’ve had success in selling patterns on Etsy. What tips do you have for a new Etsy seller?

Karla: Work very hard on your pictures, that is the first thing that a potential buyer will notice.

Promote your shop via Facebook, Twitter or your blog.

Be patient. Sometimes it takes a couple of months to get that first sale.

UC: Tell us about the yarn crafts scene in Mexico.  How important were the yarn crafts during your childhood?

Karla: I always saw ladies here in Mexico crocheting or knitting as a hobby.

My grandma is an avid crocheter, and she also likes doing embroidery. I think she is the one that inspired me to get into crafts. First I started making clothes for my dolls, then I took sewing classes for three years, and in 2006 I learned to crochet.

Now I’m enjoying knitting too, it is very relaxing.

I love the fact that more people are interested in the art of crochet, it was becoming a lost craft and thanks to the internet it has become more accessible to learn and practice.

3 Simple Baskets

UC: Does your cultural background influence your crafting? If so, how?

Karla: Yes it does, it inspires me to create handmade items that are practical, useful and colorful.

UC: Do you have any favorite Spanish or English language crochet or craft blogs to share?

Karla: Well, Crochet Spot is more of a website that helped me a lot when I was first learning to crochet, it has a lot of tutorials.

Also, I am very happy that I was featured in an ebook published by AllFreeCrochet, which contains many flower patterns. It is called Pretty Flowers to Crochet.

Textured Washcloths

UC: What’s next for you?

Karla: Right now I am getting more and more into knitting, I want to keep learning so in the near future I can publish knitting patterns too.

Thanks so much for stopping by for an interview, Karla!

The next interview in the series will be posted on September 17 with Marisa Munoz/al-abrigo.

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