It is our pleasure to introduce Helen Orombi of ElegantCrochets as this week's Featured Artist. Helen crochets a wide variety of apparel and accessories from her home in Pennsylvania.
Special offer:
What is your favorite Bible verse?
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| Offwhite Kimono Cardigan |
Coupon
Code FIRSTIME10 for 10% off in Helen's shop.
Introduction to you:
I am
Helen, originally from Uganda, came to the US for graduate studies and I have
been here for 14 years now. I live in Philadelphia where I studied theology and
psychology subsequently, I am a marriage and family therapist by profession but
last year I took a Sabbatical from practice to replenish myself. Self -care is
one of the most important practices for a therapist and crocheting/knitting is
very therapeutic and restorative for me.
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| Green Crocheted Scarf with Fringe |
How did you get your start on
Etsy?
I have
always crocheted for friends and family, I started at the age of 10. My mother
taught me how to knit, crochet, and embroider, but crochet has always been my
first love. She would bring me a completed project and ask me to make it, thus
I learnt how to crochet by sight. I can read crochet charts but not patterns so
I make up my own patterns. Since I
loved crochet, someone suggested I sell on Etsy which I opened in 2007 but
didn’t have the courage to put anything up until 2008. I crocheted as a hobby
and for therapeutic purpose until Fall of last year. As a therapist I see and
hear very difficult things and crochet is a wonderful outlet that helps me
process what I have heard and in my own way make sense of it. Some of the
pieces were created specifically after a difficult session. Since last Fall I have been crocheting and
knitting fulltime. I begin practice again at the end of the year so my time
will be divided between crochet and therapy.
How did you choose your shop
name?
Whenever
I would make items for family and friends the feedback I would get was that my
work was elegant, so I decided to call my shop elegantcrochets to reflect the
style I want to create.
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| Blue & Green Ruana Poncho |
What does a typical day look like
for you?
I am an early bird, a habit I picked up from
my boarding school days, so I am up by 4.30- 5:00am, make some coffee, do my
devotional and check email. I complete orders that need to go out in the
morning that I didn’t get the time to finish from the day before, package them
and leave them for the mail lady to pick them up. Between 7 - 9am depending on
how much I have to get done, I go out for my morning walks.
By 9am
or 10am I’m in my studio to begin the day which includes: filling orders if I
have them and if I don’t I create new designs. Creating new designs is my
favorite part of my work, choosing the colors, deciding on the shapes and
designs, it’s the most restorative part of my process and I feel like I am
recreating a part of who I am. If I have a lot of orders, I dedicate one day
out of the week just to create a new design and this helps replenish me after a
long week of filling orders. When I am
done, I take pictures of my clothing, list items on Etsy and promote them on
the teams I am in. I typically spend 8-9 hours a day crocheting/Knitting
sometimes more if I have a lot of orders. I do this while watching a good
British mystery (my favorites).
Since I
am early to rise I also go to bed early, on a typical day I am in bed by 9pm
latest 10.
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| Cream Flower Poncho |
If you could be anywhere in the
world for one day, where would it be?
Italy
What is your favorite Bible verse?
Psalm 121
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What is your favorite Etsy item
listing to feature?
That’s a hard one I have two favorites, my
colorful halter top
Kimono sleeve cardigans
Where else can we find you on the Internet?
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Crochetgonechic
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/crochetgonechic
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/elegantcrochets/
10:37 AM |
Category:
Elegant Crochets,
elegantcrochets,
Wednesday,
Wednesday Featured Artist
|
9
comments
Comments (9)
Oh I absolutely love your elegant crochet creations Helen! I crochet a little bit myself, and I totally agree about the therapeutic and soothing properties of this craft. Lately I have crochetted even on the subway on my way home from work, and by the time I arrive, I have totally unwinded.
Thanks for such a lovely portrait of another great artist! Nelly
Lots of creative items!
I love this shop! I have it in my favorites and check back often to see what gorgeous item is new! Someday I hope to purchase something pretty.
Your work is so uniquely beautiful - it's obvious these designs did not come out of a cookie-cutter book or magazine but are the product of an artistic imagination. Thank you for sharing with us.
Wow, she is very talented. Her designs are amazing!
Love the scarf!
Gorgeous work! As a fellow crocheter, I can definitely appreciate the time and creativity you put into your work, Helen! Blessings!
Absolutely lovely crocheted items!
You have beautiful items! Lovely to 'meet you' Helen x