[interview] Kaitlin Ostafew, Author

Kaitlin is the author of The Art of Crochet with Sock Weight Yarn. I was hooked as soon as I heard the subtitle “Inspired by Indie Dyers and Small-Batch Skeins”! I was giddy to learn about a crochet book dedicated to all the gorgeousness that indie dyers can bring to yarn!

And clearly, Kaitlin is too…

Tell us a bit about why you’re a crocheter

I first picked up crochet when I was 21 years old. I had just moved back home from college due to an ever-growing presence of chronic illness that I have had since I was 17 years old. With fatigue being one of my strongest symptoms, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands and not a lot of low-energy options to keep me busy. I decided to learn to crochet (after having previous experience with knitting as a teenager) to give myself something to do. Crochet was immediately more natural for me than knitting ever was. I never imagined being able to build an entire business around crochet, but I am so thankful that I took a chance on something new during one of the lowest points of my life. Now, I am much healthier, and I am able to use my hobby to help support my family while also bringing me immense joy. 

Do you have a specific aesthetic?

Pink has been my favorite color since I was a little girl. When I was younger, I was scared of that being too “girly” to embrace that. Now, as a business owner, I understand the importance of being unique and completely myself – those who connect with my aesthetic will come! I am so glad that I am finally letting my inner “little girl” be happy by designing with pink as much as I possibly can!

Can you tell me a bit about the designs in the book?

The majority of the patterns in the book were designed with the advanced beginner to intermediate crocheter in mind! These designs are for the crocheter who already has a little bit of experience (likely someone who has mostly worked with thicker weights like dk and worsted) but is ready to take their crochet to the next level by working with a more delicate weight of yarn for a more impressive finished piece. The majority of these designs can be “memorized” so that you can get into a mindless groove without a lot of intricate fuss. 

What do you hope that crocheters take from your book?

I hope crocheters learn that sock weight yarn is meant for crochet, too! Too often, delicate yarn weights are more heavily marketed towards knitters, and crocheters are left wondering what they could even make. This book was specifically created to show crocheters that crochet can have just as much beauty as knit projects, and that projects with sock weight yarn are worth the time invested.

What’s a great design for a new crocheter and their first project?

The Dragonfly Twist Cowl is the perfect project for the crocheter who is just starting to dip their toes into lighter weight yarns. This is a one skein project that is worked in a flat rectangle, and the stitch texture will pop in just about any colorway. You can’t go wrong! Plus, it’s a quick and satisfying make that will get your foot in the door without dragging you down. 

What if people could only pick one?

That is so hard for me to choose, because I have a special connection with each design in the book. However, I would have to say the Choose Your Adventure Cardi (above). This design is the perfect way to let your own personal aesthetic shine. You can select a perfectly curated palette or let yourself go wild with as many colors you can get your hands on! Though this is a longer project to commit to, it’s also one that you can easily pick up and put down by adding just a couple squares as time allows. Once you’re done, it’s like wearing your personality in cardigan-form!

Why did you feature several different dyers?

Bare yarn provides the perfect blank canvas for fiber lovers who are looking for another way to express their creativity. There are endless styles and aesthetics in the fiber community, and I felt it important to give just a few of the wonderful indie dyers a spotlight in my book. When I first started exploring indie-dyed yarn, I didn’t know where to look, and I would have greatly benefitted from a list of dyers to begin following and supporting to help get my foot in the door. 

What’s Next?

Writing this book was really a push to finally dive into dyeing yarn myself! My husband and I have joined up, and we added naturally-dyed yarn to the business in April of 2024. Now that the book is done, we can give more attention to growing this side of the business. I would also be open to writing another book, if the opportunity arose – though, if you were to ask my husband, he would say to give it some time, ha! He was an amazing support during the writing process, and now we are ready to move on to the next thing together!

Final Thoughts from Jody

So you’re an author, hand-dyer, designer and crocheter.

Clearly, you have A LOT of free time.