ROVE HANDMADE

Maria Valles, the designer behind Rove Handmade told us: “I first learned to crochet when I was about 12. I picked it up again when I came to Iceland in my 30s, and started making tea cosies from Icelandic wool. That’s when I really fell in love with it again and things evolved from there. I’ve now moved on to designing and publishing my own patterns, and crocheting has become a bit of a compulsion for me – I feel kind of empty inside if I don’t have at least one project on the go!

“Since I live in Iceland, I work primarily with Icelandic wool and I get a lot of inspiration from the wool itself, as well as from Icelandic nature and the weather. I also get ideas from the ‘holes’ in my own closet – things I need or would like to wear myself – or from a shape or technique that I’d like to try.

“I would have to say that my favourite makes, as well as my biggest triumphs, are the granny square garment designs in my Rove Handmade Volume 1: Grannies ebook. I was really happy with how each project turned out, and they all get regular rotation IRL in my own closet – especially the Duo Two-Way Shrug. It was also the first time I graded multiple sizes, and worked with testers and a tech editor, so it felt like a big step towards becoming a ‘real’ designer.

“I probably shouldn’t admit this because I know how important it is, but I didn’t start swatching until recently. I sometimes (often) dive in head-first with yarn and hook when I have an idea, and iron out the details later.” Find Maria online at www.rovehandmade.com or on Instagram as @rovehandmade