It's time for our first Designer Showcase of 2023, featuring April Garwood of Banana Moon Studio! Her designs are elegant and engaging. Learn more about this lovely crochet designer and get 5 free crochet patterns, here on Moogly!
Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.
A Bit About the Designer
I met April years ago at a professional event, and she was so soft spoke and lovely! She is a calming presence, and a talented designer, and I'm so grateful she is sharing her work with us today. Here's a bit more about her in her own words:
Hi there! I'm April Garwood of Banana Moon Studio. I love to design crochet and knit wearables and home decor that you will love making and enjoy using. Among my designs, you’ll find a lot of wearable accessories like scarves, shawls, and hats. You’ll also find cozy sweaters and comfortable blankets, pillows, potholders, and more.
I started out designing patterns for magazines and yarn companies. My first design was based on a blessing day dress for my youngest. It was published in Interweave Crochet. I remember being surprised when the yarn arrived for that first design. I was expecting to make it in exactly the yarn I had suggested, but it was something completely different!
After completing that first design I published over 50 more with magazines and yarn companies. Through those projects, I gained wonderful professional experience which I apply to writing and self-publishing patterns for you today.
Eventually, as I moved more toward self-publishing and blogging, I wanted to choose a business name for my website. At the time, my kids were all very young. When my oldest was a toddler, she pointed up at a yellow crescent moon one night and said, “Bina!” That was toddler-speak for “banana.” I loved that she thought there was a banana in the sky! That memory was the inspiration for my business name, Banana Moon Studio.
I originally designed a lot for children. Now that I don’t have any in-house models for children’s items, I design more for adults, teens, and homes. But some things that will always be at the center of me and what I do, is family, home, and comfort.
I live in Oklahoma, USA with my husband, four children, two rescue dogs, and one cranky cat. I moved around a lot in my young childhood years, as my father was in the Air Force. When I was eight years old my family settled in Oklahoma and I’ve, more or less, been here ever since.
In addition to crochet and knitting, I love to spin yarn, hike, kayak, and listen to audiobooks.
Follow Banana Moon Studio on Social Media:
- Website: https://bananamoonstudio.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/bananamoonstudio
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/bananamoonstudio
- Ravelry: https://ravelry.com/designers/april-garwood
- Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/bananamoonstudio
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/bananamoonstudio
- TikTok: https://tiktok.com/ZM8raxhaD
And Shop Her Patterns:
- Ravelry Shop: https://ravelry.com/stores/banana-moon-studio
- Etsy: https://bananamoonstudio.etsy.com
Here are 5 wonderful crochet pattern freebies from Banana Moon Studio!
5 Free Crochet Patterns by Banana Moon Studio!
Click on the links of the patterns you like to go to their pattern pages!
- Milky Way Blankie. Children’s space-themed blanket:
http://bananamoonstudio.com/2012/03/19/milky-way-blankie/ - Small afghan square with a peacock feather in the center:
https://bananamoonstudio.com/2013/03/20/peacock-feather-crochet-afghan-square/ - Floral garland perfect for spring decor:
https://bananamoonstudio.com/2014/03/12/national-crochet-month-tour-2014/ - Beginner-level cozy blanket shrug:
http://bananamoonstudio.com/2019/09/05/ada-shrug-free-easy-crochet-pattern - Granny stitch scarf perfect for Valentine’s Day:
http://bananamoonstudio.com/2021/01/16/heartbeat-scarf-valentine-crochet-project/
Thank you so much to April for being featured in the Moogly Designer Showcase! Be sure to check out all of the links above for more great crochet - and save this pin to your crafty Pinterest board so you can find it later!
Are you a designer interested in being featured in a Moogly Designer Showcase? Send me an email at tamarakelly@mooglyblog.com ♥
Get Moogly on your favorite social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok so you don't miss a thing!
Lyn Routledge
Thank you for sharing April's story. Thank you for the patterns, too. Have a wonderful weekend.