Meet the Designers for The 2023 Makers of Color Collective Calendar
Leyla Anderson
Hi I’m Leyla, the founder and maker behind Leylalicious Knits. Born in Lima, Peru and currently residing in SoCal with my 2 boys and Hubby or as I like to say 3 boys. The name Leylalicious was inspired by my love for dipping sweets in chocolate and making jewelry. I would dip madeline cookies, oreos, rice krispies and pretzels to name a few. As my Instagram page has evolved over time, my focus has shifted towards knitting and crocheting.
For as long as I can remember I’ve always had a passion to work with my hands and create beautiful handmade items. Which has led me to creating handmade knits and designing patterns. You can find my handmade finished items and patterns in my Etsy shop and on Raverly. When not creating you can find me reading a book or taking a walk or hike with my Hubby.
Erin Battle - Yarn Matter
I started crocheting in 2020 and quickly grew to love it. When I discovered the fiber community on Instagram, that opened my eyes to a whole new side of the industry. As a result, I expanded as a natural yarn dyer and tech editor in 2022. I love being involved in the community and connecting with new fiber friends (even if it's just virtual). Outside of the fiber arts, I enjoy traveling, finding new-to-me local good eats, baking, watching shows and sports, and playing with my dog and cat.
Iman Fayek
Iman (she/they) is a South East Asian and North African artist and engineer based in the US. They’ve been crocheting and knitting as a hobby for over 15 years and decided to start writing patterns during the pandemic. They are a texture fiend, constantly looking for stitch combinations that both look and feel good, and they love pairing bold, bright colors with dark, moody ones. Outside of crafting, Iman is a game developer and runs a non-profit for BIPOC and other marginalized groups in the Media Arts.
Kate Hammitt - One of a Kate
One of a Kate was born out of a play on words of ‘one of a kind’ and the creations of Kate; it represents confidence in a simple luxe way, although Kate is everything wild and energetic. She’s a self-taught crocheter and knitter, Air Force brat and Korean American. On the rare occasion she’s not playing with yarn, she is wrangling her four pugs or watching her husband race.
Fatimah Hinds - Disturbing the Fleece
Fatimah (she/her) is a newly relocated, Vancouver based fiber artist. She custom makes and designs knitting patterns for all genders. Her patterns and one of kind pieces can be found on Etsy and Ravelry.
Melissa Hutchinson
Leia Jackson - CraftyMD
I am a knit and crochet designer with over 15 years of craft experience. During the day I also practice as a radiologist. I enjoy video games, hot tea, and well-written novels. And I love designing classic pieces that bring comfort to life. I get inspiration and ideas for unique details from my friends and family.
Gabrielle and Caeli Koizumi
Gabrielle was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area with a sojourn to the Central Coast and Southern California for undergraduate and graduate school. A high school drama teacher and a professional stage manager, Gabrielle is no stranger to the world of textile, color and shape. Gabrielle and her sister, Caeli, have recently begun their knitwear design journey under the label: Slip Slip Sis Designs. Gabrielle currently resides in San Jose with her husband and daughters.
Candice Le - Urbn Fiber
My name is Candice and I'm the owner and maker behind URBN FIBER. I've been married to my high school sweetheart for 18 years and we have two amazing kiddos.
URBN FIBER was born out of the need to keep my mind and my hands busy after losing my brother to suicide in 2011. I didn't immediately start my business, but after years of friends and family telling me I should sell my makes, I finally opened my shop in October 2020. I currently make and sell hand knit and crochet accessories for the whole family and the home, but I'm looking forward to expanding my business in the near future.
I never in a million years thought I would design, but here I am and I'm so thankful.
My goal for my business no matter how it evolves is to give back to organizations that help with suicide prevention and that work to end the stigma associated with suicide, depression and mental health.
Toni Lipsey - TL Yarn Crafts
Toni Lipsey, the designer and instructor behind TL Yarn Crafts, strives to spark others’ creativity through online tutorials and modern, approachable crochet patterns. Toni learned to crochet from her mother as a teenager and has been exploring the possibilities of yarn ever since. She offers hundreds of crochet patterns on her website and thousands of hours of crochet instruction and inspiration on her YouTube channel. When she’s not crocheting, you can find Toni cuddled with her 2 kittens and husband in her Michigan home, binge-watching the latest true-crime thriller on Netflix. Follow her daily crochet journey on Instagram and pick up her book, The Tunisian Crochet Handbook, and patterns on tlyarncrafts.com.
Tacia McIntosh - Joanna’s Crochet
I’m Tacia the maker/dyer behind Joanna’s Crochet and Purly Tricot Yarn. I currently live in Southeastern Michigan where I work in Clinical Trials by day and maker by night. My journey to crochet was a long one, I was taught by my aunt when I was a young girl and didn’t pick it back up until my early 20’s. In 2018, I decided to start designing my own patterns and I that’s when I made Joanna’s Crochet Instagram page.
Since then, I’ve been designing patterns, became a sample maker for WeCrochet and started hand dyeing yarn amongst a plethora of other crafts/hobbies that I enjoy. I’m always looking to expand my knowledge so I can turn it into something tangible. So, check in from time to time to see what’s happening.
April Rongero - Xoxotiya
April is the maker/designer/Filipina auntie behind xoxotiya, your new favorite crochet shop! From shawls to amigurumi, all of her work is made with intention and her own two hands. It's important to her that each piece is personal and one of a kind. As a designer, April loves to translate everyday life into crochet, like her mother's love of gardening or the sweet memory of sharing a mango with her parents. She has published several crochet patterns independently, as well as with Radicle Threads magazine and KnitCrate.
Noorain Nizami - Noor’s Knits
Noorain is the knit and Tunisian crochet designer behind Noor’s Knits. She is a Canadian and originally from Hyderabad, India. She lives in Cleveland, OH with her husband and six-year-old son. He is her inspiration for most of her designs. She has over 60 patterns for women, children, and the home in her shops.
Website | Instagram | Ravelry | LoveCrafts | Facebook | Etsy | YouTube | Pinterest
Rebecca Mercado -
I am a mixed woman of color seeking to share my voice and creativity through yarn. Many women in my family crochet/knit, and I have grown up around it. It is woven into the tapestry of my life in a way I didn’t understand until adulthood. Now I am sharing my gifts that have been passed through my family to me with the world.
I focus on merging my inspiration from art and symbolism from my different cultures into easygoing, wearable pieces. I want my designs to be fun to make, stylish to wear, and represent the art made by brown hands.
Natasha Stewart
Hi Y’all my name is Natasha Stewart & I live outside of Atlanta, Georgia with my husband three kids two cats and one dog. I started crocheting around 2010 with the help of YouTube University. Before I learned how to crochet I didn't think I was a creative person but that has since changed. Since being in this fiber community I have been able to connect with others that enjoy the same hobby as me which is making awesome things and of course collecting yarn. I am grateful that yarn has connected us in many different areas beyond just yarn. Early on in my fiber journey I didn't see people that look like me but now I know We in the Bipoc community have been here the whole time I just had to look. Here's too many more years of growth.
Peace & Blessings
Natasha Stewart
Instagram | Ravelry
Roxanne Wosu - Eat.Wander.Crochet
Roxanne Wosu is the Canadian designer behind Eat.Wander.Crochet, a name derived from her love of food, yarn, and beautiful landscapes. Experimentation and exploration are her jam, whether it is trying a new recipe, playing with different textures and colors in crochet, or finding something new in a familiar place. She designs modern crochet garments and accessories that feature unique textures often inspired by food, previous travels, or shapes she sees around her. When people try her patterns, she hopes that they’ll learn something new. It doesn’t have to be major – it could even be, “oh, I didn’t think of using this stitch or technique in that way. That’s cool!”.