Nerd Out: The Dream Crochet Shoppe

Hi Gang!
 I was able to touch base with the lovely Ashlee and she agreed to an interview! I've been reading her blog since it's inception and her shop is full of beautiful hand crafted pieces, I just had to share her with you guys!

- Tell us a little bit about yourself and your shop.
 I am Ashlee Elle and I have a shoppe which is called The Dream Crochet Shoppe. It is where I create originally designed handmade crochet items from scarves, to hats,to graphic sweaters and even dresses! I started crocheting a little bit before I attended College. Crocheting entirely became such a relaxing form of art where I found that I could create whatever I truly imagine. At first, I would solely create handmade items for friends and family members as gifts for special life events as well as holidays. Though as the years progressed, I swiftly discovered a beautiful community online where others held the same love as well as admiration for Crocheting as I hold to this day. From that point, I started sharing my work online within my blogs and it's been quite an educating and joyous experience, I absolutely love every bit of creating.

- Whose your favorite Comic Book Hero?
 My favorite Comic Book Here would have to be the one and only, Batman. Hands down. A close second is Aquaman though my love for Harley Quinn (who is a Villain) trumps both heroes!

- What are some of your go to places/things when you have a creative block?
 Some of the places I like to go when I have a creative block would be going for nature walks, reading books that inspire, listening to a handful of my favorite bands as well as perusing local thrift/vintage stores for garment inspiration. Also, coffee helps a lot too! All of those pieces truly help the ingredients of solving a creative block for me and I'm quite thankful for all forms of art that can help produce as well as inspire.

- What's your advice for people who want to learn to crochet?
 The best advice I could offer for those who want to learn how to crochet would be to Experiment. Create what you would like to see, what you would like to wear, there are no rules to creativity, you have the all of the power in your hook. Just go for it!  Also, Youtube tutorials are a lifesaver for starting out!

- What's one thing about you/ your products that you would like people to know?
One thing I would like others to know, is that I have a strong love for this art form, crocheting is a passion of mine and I truly hope it reaches, that it inspires those who love to create as well. I truly hope that passion, that emotion is perceived throughout each item and project that I put out.

- What's your design process for a finished garment?
The design process starts with a small seed of inspiration, which grows to my book sketches of the particular design, then I gather the materials necessary and go to work! A lot of the time, my designs are purely experimental so I'm not entirely sure how the garment will come out, but its such an adventure that I favor it more than actually planning out a specific design. The excitement of finishing a garment is quite overwhelming to be honest, the notion that this finished product that I created with my own two hands, is now an item that I can wear or someone else can create, is simply astounding.


- If you could create anything without having to worry about copyright infringement, what would it be and why?
 If I could create anything without copyright infringement, I would entirely recreate Harley Quinn's exact costume from Batman: The Animated Series and utilize the garment for Cosplay!


- What are some of the things you Nerd Out about?
Some of the things I nerd out about would be : Detective Comics (DC Girl) I love reading Graphic Novels, Secret Six and Aquaman are at the top of the list, All things fantasy driven, Willow (my favorite movie ever by Lucas himself) Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Star Wars, Hunger Games, Harry Potter Game of Thrones and just about every game ever made on Nintendo 64 (especially Mario Kart 64!)

 Make sure you guys visit Ashley and give her some love on her instagram!

 Same Bat Time. Same Bat Channel,


 ~Gabriella!~

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