Rebecca Langford of Little Monkeys Crochet: Designer Showcase!

It’s time for June's Designer Showcase! I like to wrap up each month by having one of my favorite designers share a bit about themselves, and then I follow it up by sharing my 5 favorite free patterns that they've designed! This month I’m excited to share some things from the talented Rebecca Langford - the blogger and designer behind Little Monkeys Crochet!

Little Monkeys Crochet has only been around for about 18 months, but it's off to an impressive start! Here's what she has to say:

Hi there! I’m so excited to visit the Moogly blog today. My name is Rebecca, and I blog at Little Monkeys Crochet. I live in southern Michigan with my husband, a pastor, and our two little boys, Samuel and Isaiah. As you’ve probably guessed, they are the “little monkeys” after which my blog was named.

In college, I was never quite certain what I wanted to do with my life beyond having a family of my own. I took an interest in computers and design, and spent quite a few years as a freelance graphics and web designer. After college I was blessed to meet and marry a wonderful man named Zack. When I gave birth to our first son, my design business became too big for me to find the time to maintain, so I gave up my clients and just focused on my little family for a while.

During that time, a friend asked me to design a small web site for her crochet business. I agreed, and part of my payment was a slouch hat for myself and a sock monkey hat for my son. As I designed her site, I spent a lot of time looking at all of her gorgeous and adorable crocheted creations and found myself itching to learn how to do it myself. I’d never had a hobby that didn’t involve computers, and the idea of being able to relax on the couch with a hook and yarn sounded wonderful!

I didn’t know it then, but that hobby would very quickly turn into something much bigger. It wasn’t long before I stopped using other designers’ patterns and started dreaming up my own creations. I love math, so building a pattern design was an intriguing task and I couldn’t crochet fast enough to keep up with all of my ideas. It was around Christmastime that my husband, ever-encouraging, mentioned the idea of starting a blog. By the start of the new year, I had built it, and on January 18, 2014, we launched littlemonkeyscrochet.com. A very simple rugby-style infinity scarf pattern of mine got some buzz, the blog grew quickly, and I was hooked!

My crochet style is contemporary. I love that crochet has been around for soooo many years, and I’m ever-impressed by all of the ornate, classically stunning creations… but what energizes me is the idea that younger, fashion-forward generations can learn and get excited about crochet, too!

When I first started the blog, I was a little worried that there wouldn’t be a very big audience for contemporary styles, but wow, was I wrong. Thanks to sites like Pinterest, the yarn arts have been given new life, and fledgling crocheters are searching for modern patterns. I’m excited to be a part of it all, not only with my own blog, but also with my newest “baby” – Crochetrendy.com. This new site launched this past spring and serves as a free pattern directory for "a new generation of crochet patterns." Through this project, I’ve connected with some fabulous designers who have similar goals and a love for the modern side of crochet. Come check it out!

So that’s me… I hope to see you around!

Rebecca

Blog: http://littlemonkeyscrochet.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleMonkeysCrochet
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/littlemcrochet/
Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/little-monkeys-crochet
My other site: http://www.crochetrendy.com

Rebecca's designs are indeed very modern looking, and it's easy to see why her blog has really taken off! Here are 5 of my favorite freebies on Little Monkeys Crochet:

5 Free Crochet Patterns on Little Monkeys Crochet!

Click on the names of the patterns you like to go to their pattern pages!

1. The Never Ending Wild Flower: You might recognize this as the start of a recent CAL block on Moogly!
2. Market Tote Bag: Simple and great looking!
3. My First Baby Blanket: I love her color choices here!
4. The Jenny Slouch Hat: One of Rebecca's most popular patterns!
5. Basketweave Pillow: The monochrome texture makes this pillow a perfect addition to any decor!

Thank you so much to Rebecca for being featured in the Moogly Designer Showcase this month! Be sure to check out Little Monkeys Crochet for more!

Get Moogly on your favorite social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, G+, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr, and sign up for the free Newsletter so you don’t miss a thing!