Tamara Bower-Snow of Roxycraft.com Interview

Tamara Bower-Snow is a work at home mom and the proprietress of Roxycraft.com, a site dedicated to the amigurimi patterns she writes. Amigurimi is a Japanese word meaning knitted or crocheted doll. Tamara took the time to talk with me via e-mail about her website and her craft patterns.

When and why did you start working with yarn?
I started getting interested in crafting when I met my husband about 6 years ago. He was the first person to really give mentally give me permission to explore that side of me. It took me another 2 years to actually pick up some yarn and make something.

Was crochet your first foray into fiber work?
Crochet was my first craft. It seemed easier than knitting to me at the time. I would find out later that knitting wasn't hard at all.

When and why did you start Roxy Craft?
At first, I started it as a hodge podge of free craft projects and patterns, some articles I'd written, beauty tips that I'd learned in Cosmetology school. I eventually planned to add a forum. It's evolved quite a bit since then.

Why did you pick the name?
I have no idea why, but I've always loved the name Roxy. The "craft" part was easy.

What was your first crochet design?
A hideous hat pattern that I have since removed from my site. It was panned on a few blogs before I realized how awful it really was. The hat turned out cute when I made it!

How did you find out about the world of Amigurumi?
I am pretty sure that one of my livejournal friends mentioned it and it was love at first sight. It took me a few months to get the courage up to try my own.

Why did you decide to make dolls and animals?
My son. I was pregnant with my first child, Jackson, when I decided to make him a mobile. I made all these little animals to go on it. The mobile never got made.
But I continued to make dolls and animals because my son adores them. I keep all my toys for him. That's the great thing about selling patterns.

Where can you find your patterns, besides your website?
A couple stores. One in Chicago, Chix with Stix, and one in Denver, Fancy Tiger.

What's on the agenda for the future?
I'm doing some design commissions for a yarn company right now. I am hoping to just keep doing what I'm doing for as long as I can. I do have some evil plans that involve sewing.

Do you have any words of advice for someone who wants to start working with yarn and crocheting specifically?
I really feel like I fell into this by accident. I wouldn't tell someone to quit their day job. Crochet is time consuming if you have a family, but if it's your hobby first and your business second, you'll do ok.
I really feel like I fell into this by accident. I wouldn't tell someone to quit their day job. Crochet is time consuming if you have a family, but if it's your hobby first and your business second, you'll do ok.