This month we are delighted to get to know
Lee, founder of Coco Crochet Lee, a modern
collection of fresh crochet designs, tutorials
and more!
DESIGNER SKETCHBOOK
Le Sart ri
H
i everyone! I am a 34-year-old French-
Canadian living in Ontario, Canada
with my husband and two little ones. I
named my business after my son, who
we call 'Coco' and 'Coconut' at home. I am
a crochet and knitwear designer, and have
worked as a crochet magazine assistant
editor, a tech editor, a social media specialist
and more! I’ve worked for wonderful crafting
companies such as Annie’s, and have
appeared on the PBS and Create TV series
Knit and Crochet Now! for the past three
years. When I’m not designing, I love to read,
listen to podcasts and spend time outdoors
with my family.I started my website quite late into my
design career, as I was busy working for
arts and crafts companies, helping build
their brands. When I had some time to focus
more on my own design work, I had a wealth
of material to share, and plenty of new ideas!
I like to think that my style comes about as
a result of years of painting and drawing for
university projects and playing with paint
and colour. I love bold pieces, whimsy and
creativity. I try to ensure that whatever I am
designing has fl ow, creativity, originality, and
style. I have a diffi cult time making anything
subdued or plain. If I can, I sneak in a pop of
bold colour, or an unexpected texture that stands out. I think it’s important for me to
express myself in that way because, as an
artist, I strive to continuously grow with my
designs, and express my personality through
my work. Above all else, I hope to have fun!When it comes to creating crochet patterns,
I usually begin with the design idea and
then I choose my materials. I fi nd inspiration
everywhere, from someone walking by
holding a bunch of fl owers that gives me an
idea for a bag, or seeing something being
worn by a stranger passing by that sparks
an idea for a new garment. If I have the bare
bones of an idea, I will play with the design
until I can fi nd a way to add some sort of
uniqueness to it before beginning. Once the
idea is ready, then it’s time to match the36 | http://www.crochetnow.co.ukartist, I strive to continuously grow with my
designs, and express my personality through
my work. Above all else, I hope to have fun!When it comes to creating crochet patterns,
I usually begin with the design idea and
then I choose my materials. I fi nd inspiration
everywhere, from someone walking by
holding a bunch of fl owers that gives me an
idea for a bag, or seeing something being
worn by a stranger passing by that sparks
an idea for a new garment. If I have the bare
bones of an idea, I will play with the design
until I can fi nd a way to add some sort of
uniqueness to it before beginning. Once the
idea is ready, then it’s time to match the