I love the fact that no animal is safe from her amigurumi and it illustrates that anything is possible to create with crochet. This sets me to thinking that it can be adapted to other disciplines and architecture springs to mind. In the New Year I'm hoping to take a look at this.
Anyway, here's Brie and her interview and her gallery of 'friends'. Enjoy!!!
Chain Creative Interview
Questions of creativity and inspiration
Your name: Brie Read
Name of your business: Roman Sock
Where you’re from: I am from all over! My mother is Dutch/Indonesian my father is a Londoner and I have lived in 15 different countries. I currently live in Scotland
Blog address: Roman Sock
(and don't forget your Flikr page!!!)
Describe your various creative skills: I have always loved making things and as a child I was much happier with a bag of flour (for glue) some old boxes and some aluminium foil, than any toy money could buy.
I have to thank my mum for putting up with all sorts of hideous creations! And to my dad who still wears a silk painted tie I made him.
However, I never found my niche. I loved sculpture and colour but I am not a very good painter so eventually I g
ave up being creative and worked on my career. That was until I found crochet.
Why do you love crochet? Because it is ultimately completely flexible, and you have the ability to create what is in your minds eye. I love the textures, shapes and dimensions you can make, but most of all the warmth of using yarn. I adore the way crochet can be completely unstructured it feels like knitting’s more daring cousin.
What is the inspiration behind the name of your website/blog? Tell us a bit about it. I called my blog Roman Sock, because a roman sock was the first thing ever crocheted. I love ancient history particularly the Romans so it just seemed to fit. Although I think it may have caused a lot of confusion as many people seem to think I am an actual person called Roman Sock.
What influences your style and output? What are your inspirations?
I try not to look at other amigurumi out there as I think it is so easy to inadvertently copy someone’s idea. Instead I like watching nature programs and often use flickr to search for cute pictures of animals. I also try to solve problems with my crochet, so if I need a bag, or a pen holder, or a yarn holder, or anything else, I try and think of a way I could make it in crochet instead of buying it.
What are the most important aspects of your work to you?
Being original, it is really important to me that I keep making things that break my own boundaries and keep people guessing. I would like people to be able to tell my work apart from other peoples.
Which project or piece of work are you most proud of?
This one is a bit of a tie, I love my meerkats but I am also very proud of my recent pass the piggies game. I like the piggy game because it really has a function, it something to be used not just to sit on a shelf collecting dust.
I like my meerkats because I feel they brought something a bit different to traditional amigurumi.
Describe the kind of customer you are appealing to.
I don’t sell my patterns because I want as many people as possible to enjoy them. One day I would love to publish a book so hopefully if people like my patterns one day they might buy the book.
When are you most happy when you’re working?
I love that instant crochetfication feeling, so I would say at the end of a small project that has turned out even better than I planned. It’s a
I have to thank my mum for putting up with all sorts of hideous creations! And to my dad who still wears a silk painted tie I made him.
However, I never found my niche. I loved sculpture and colour but I am not a very good painter so eventually I g
ave up being creative and worked on my career. That was until I found crochet.Why do you love crochet? Because it is ultimately completely flexible, and you have the ability to create what is in your minds eye. I love the textures, shapes and dimensions you can make, but most of all the warmth of using yarn. I adore the way crochet can be completely unstructured it feels like knitting’s more daring cousin.
What is the inspiration behind the name of your website/blog? Tell us a bit about it. I called my blog Roman Sock, because a roman sock was the first thing ever crocheted. I love ancient history particularly the Romans so it just seemed to fit. Although I think it may have caused a lot of confusion as many people seem to think I am an actual person called Roman Sock.
What influences your style and output? What are your inspirations?
I try not to look at other amigurumi out there as I think it is so easy to inadvertently copy someone’s idea. Instead I like watching nature programs and often use flickr to search for cute pictures of animals. I also try to solve problems with my crochet, so if I need a bag, or a pen holder, or a yarn holder, or anything else, I try and think of a way I could make it in crochet instead of buying it.
What are the most important aspects of your work to you?
Being original, it is really important to me that I keep making things that break my own boundaries and keep people guessing. I would like people to be able to tell my work apart from other peoples.
Which project or piece of work are you most proud of?
This one is a bit of a tie, I love my meerkats but I am also very proud of my recent pass the piggies game. I like the piggy game because it really has a function, it something to be used not just to sit on a shelf collecting dust.
I like my meerkats because I feel they brought something a bit different to traditional amigurumi.
Describe the kind of customer you are appealing to.
I don’t sell my patterns because I want as many people as possible to enjoy them. One day I would love to publish a book so hopefully if people like my patterns one day they might buy the book.
When are you most happy when you’re working?
I love that instant crochetfication feeling, so I would say at the end of a small project that has turned out even better than I planned. It’s a
rare but wonderful feeling!Thank you for chatting, Brie!
Thank you!
Love Bee
Wasn't that great!!? I know that many of you are fans of Roman Sock and have linked over to her site. I'm sure many more will after reading this.
I've been buying Christmas presents on Etsy - I think it's great if you can source really unique gifts and support designer-producers at the same time. There so much talent out there and Etsy is a wonderful home for many of them. I'd be dishonest if I didn't say that it's all wonderful, but at least there is the choice and a home for everything. I love browsing the 'Handpicked' range every day which is a personal choice of an Etsier and it certainly opens the treasure-chest!
The posts are a short but sweet and this one is for all those who want to keep it 'real' and create their own decorations. I'm increasingly meeting people who are being really creative this Christmas and making many of their presents. I'm sure it's because of our new economic situation but I hope the feeling will last long after the bankers have left the building.
More in the spirit is f
All of this made me think that Christmas this year should be an opportunity for investing more time (not money) in creating gifts that have more meaning and value because they have a personal creativity. I'm not alone. There are books being published every day and discussions in every paper and I spotted 
