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Hello! Today, I’ll be introducing you to one of my best blogging friends and favorite crochet designers, Kirsten Holloway. Her blog, Kirsten Holloway Designs, is absolutely brimming with lacy, feminine crochet patterns available for free!
Kirsten’s patterns come from life, and all its inspirations– both the physical and intangible. Much of what she designs has a vintage feel to it, and her style could be summarized as Victorian era charm, with a hint of country romance; lace, ribbons, and all things feminine.
Through the combination of beauty, texture and color, Kirsten desires to use her crochet patterns to make the world a more beautiful place, and It is her goal to bring joy, and inspiration to you, your friends, and loved ones through each design she releases.
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Featured Designer Interview with Kirsten Holloway
Katie: The first question I have for you is, where did you learn to crochet? Did you teach yourself?
: My mom taught me to crochet when I was 9, and I enjoyed making small projects here and there throughout my pre-teen years. I developed other interests as I got older and didn’t get back into crochet until February 2014.
By that time about 20 years had passed, and I had to learn all over again! My husband was actually the one helped me brush up on my skills, and taught me to read patterns.
Fun fact: He had learned how to crochet and knit in scouts, and is still a better knitter than I am. I spent an hour or two each day for the next 4 or 5 days focusing on learning to read patterns and remembering the difference between all the stitches, but once that first week had passed, I was hooked, and started playing around with designing my own patterns shortly after that (though it took me close to 2 years to release anything)!
Katie: How awesome that you have that in common with your husband! Now, I know you probably have a ton of favorites (I do!) but what is your all-time favorite crochet project you’ve made?
Kirsten: It’s so hard to choose just one! I typically only design things that I would wear or gift to someone, so in many ways most of them are my favorites!
If I had to choose I’d pick between my Rosemary Green baby bonnet, or Lavender Blue baby bonnet, and my Primrose and Proper Slouch Hat, Super Scarf, Buttoned Cowl Scarf and Fingerless Gloves set. (Quick aside, there are also some gorgeous boot cuffs that match available for purchase on Ravelry!)
I love beautiful, lacy, romantic, feminine things, with a vintage feel. But don’t let the lace fool you, I’m also a country girl who’s not afraid of dirt, can ride a horse, and work on a truck engine with the best of
Katie: What’s your favorite crochet stitch? Ooh, is it the cluster? I see those a lot in your patterns!
Kirsten: Actually, the stitch I enjoy the most is the half-double crochet. It’s a great stitch for hats, which I make a lot of for charity purposes, and working in the 3rdloop at the back of the stitch gives the illusion of knit (and if anyone should know anything about me it’s that I’m a knitter trapped in a crocheter’s body)!
Katie: I totally relate! I wish I had more time to knit, but I’m too hooked on crochet. Now, what about your favorite yarn?
Kirsten: My favorite yarns to work with are natural fibers/natural fiber blends, but since my budget is still somewhat limited, acrylic has to make do in a pinch. Some of my favorites are Caron Simply Soft, Lion Brand Heartland, and Red Heart Unforgettable.
Katie: What do you do while you’re crocheting? Do you watch tv or listen to music? (Let’s be honest, as a mom, I know you have got to be multitasking!)
Kirsten: I sing in our local, semi-professional choral and often practice the songs for our programs while I stitch. I also enjoy listening to uplifting podcasts that will help me grow my business. I’m also a homeschool mom, so sometimes I’m helping my kids with their lessons. A couple of other favorites are my instrumental and Lindsay Stirling Pandora stations—oh, and my children playing (or arguing) in the next room. 😉
Katie: Where do you prefer to crochet? I love hearing about everyone’s craft spaces.
Kirsten: I crochet on my couch surrounded by skeins of yarn, my crochet hooks, and iPad, where I write my patterns down. Occasionally I’ll have a child snuggled up next to me, but it is becoming less and less frequent as they get older, which is bittersweet.
My home has a large, open floor plan, and I really wish I had a cozy nook to curl up in and crochet away the hours, but it’s pretty cozy in the main part of the house during the winter, especially when it’s snowing outside, so I shouldn’t complain too much.
Katie: Thanks so much for joining us, Kirsten! I know that everyone will LOVE the patterns of yours I’ve chosen- they’re all so beautiful! Sometimes, we girls just need to be girly!
10 Beautifully Feminine Crochet Patterns by Kirsten Holloway Designs
Paid Patterns that were too Beautiful to Resist!
I just love the gorgeous texture of this hat! I have never been a fan of beanie style hats except out of necessity when I lived in Illinois, but this hat just might convert me! It looks so light and airy and beautiful.
This hat is so adorable! I’m sure any little girl would love it, and to be perfectly honest, I kinda want one, too!
Free Feminine Crochet Patterns from Kirsten Holloway Designs
I know you guys are here for this! Here are all of my absolute favorite romantic and feminine crochet patterns from Kirsten Holloway. I’ve crocheted a good number of these myself, and if I could find more hours in the day, I would crochet even more of them! (In fact, the next pattern is at the top of my Ravelry Queue!)
La Vie en Rose Crochet Earflap Hat
Isn’t this little ski hat so adorable? I just love the beautiful shells, and the gorgeous texture here. My daughter’s been bugging me for a pink snow hat, and you all know I can’t say no to her. I was able to grab some cute photos of her wearing it!
Even better, there’s a matching Ladies Scarf Pattern you can check out for free as well!
Cranberry Twist Slouchy Bonnet
This beautiful, textured bonnet looks absolutely stunning! I am in love with the pom pom ties, the open ribbing, and the perfect amount of slouch in the back. I think this might be in my sister’s next Christmas package! Of course, I’ll have to include the matching Pom Pom Scarf. (There’s a matching Beanie, too!)
This gorgeous neck warmer is just beautiful! I love the way Kirsten incorporates little extra details, like this gorgeous brown ribbon, into her crochet pieces. I always feel so inspired to crochet when I see her beautifully styled photo shoots! Don’t you agree? (There are also matching wristers, a headband and boot cuffs that coordinate with this cowl- I love how Kirsten makes beautiful pattern sets like this!)
Rustic Elegance Canning Jar Set
This gorgeous canning jar cozy set is just beautiful! Another of my hobbies is gardening, and I love to give my canned salsas and jellies as gifts. I know my family would love them even more packaged up in this beautiful gift set!
I’m always looking for unique ways to wear my crochet, and this choker is perfect! Even in Florida, I could wear this year round. I love the look of the white for bridal occasions, but it would look just as beautiful in a black or deep jewel tone for everyday wear. It’s also part of a set that includes a free fingerless glove pattern and a PICC Line Cover.
This beautiful little bauble would be the perfect finishing touch for so many of my favorite hair styles! I love how versatile and feminine crochet patterns like this one can be!
This is another of my absolute favorite patterns! I made a version of this using Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable because I LOVED the scarf but didn’t have any crochet thread handy. It’s one of my favorite pieces to wear to the beach when you need just a little bit of lightness without much weight.
Victorian Blush Muffler
Last, but certainly not least, is the Victorian Blush Muffler. This beauty was my mom’s handmade Christmas gift last year. She LOVED it (and the coordinating Sugar Maple Boot Cuffs I made her)! Fun story, I was lucky enough to test this pattern in advance. When Kirsten mentioned to me she hadn’t named it yet, we had a super fun brainstorming session that involved a flurry of flower photos flying between us. I finally figured out that she wanted a ruffly peony, and sent her a chart of peony varieties that included, you guessed it, the Victorian Blush Peony!
Thank you so much for reading and checking out this designer feature! I hope you enjoyed all these beautifully feminine crochet patterns from our guest, Kirsten, and we will see you back again in a week with another amazing collection of crochet designs!
Kirsten says
Thank you so much for the feature! It was fun!
Katie says
I had fun, too! Thanks for hanging out with us! 🙂