Meet Kris Moore!
This week is my first Featured Friend Friday and I’d like for you to meet Kris Moore with Krissy’s Over The Mountain Crochet. Each Friday I’ll be introducing you to a wonderful designer. Kris is an amazing woman that I’ve had the pleasure to be friends with for almost a year. She has a heart of gold and is one of the sweetest ladies I’ve ever met. Now, I’d like for you to meet her, too!
Kris has had an online presence since early 2000 in one form or another, but her serious pursuit of presenting herself as a crochet designer has been in the last 5 years. When Kris’s children were young, she never dreamed that we would be able to connect to other crafter’s in the way that the internet has afforded us. She is always designing or making something in her head.
A designer’s journey
When I asked Kris to tell me about her journey she said, “I never considered myself as a designer until a few years ago. I felt that I wasn’t worthy of that title. Since I haven’t had a formal education, I have always been creating. I have to create something or I become very sad. I feel like I live with my head in the clouds, my own creative cloud so to speak. My journey as a crochet designer started while spending time at my grandmother’s home. She pulled me to the couch and made me watch her crochet a granny square. I can still see how she executed a dc. She slowly walked me through the process, over and over.
That was all it took for me to become hooked. It made so much sense to me that I was confident that I could crochet. When I hit my 20’s (1980) I bought a crochet magazine and followed the stitch guide. There was no youtube or anything like that, but it just made sense. I crocheted all through the early years of my marriage, before I had children. After the children started making their appearance I shifted to sewing. I have a deep love for both crafts. They both fuel my creative juices.”
“I can’t think of what inspired me to become a crochet designer. I have always been this way, but I found ebay boutique through a friend around 2004. It was a happening place back then where you could buy pageant wear for children, boutique handbags, anything you could find in a boutique. There were many group’s that you could join. The group’s which consisted of about 10 or 12 folks would have launches. It would have a strict date and a theme, like around Valentine’s day. The launch would have a title, something like “Sweet Kisses”, then you would design something around kisses. It was so much fun!
We would then all promote one another during the launch to help each other sell our items. Someone mentioned they would love to have a crocheted hat to go with an outfit they were designing, and I volunteered. I became one of the go to crochet members. Then ebay made major changes, and we all made a mass exodus to Etsy. I started on Etsy selling custom boutique pageant wear, with crocheted accessories, and I started getting requests for the crochet patterns. I didn’t even know it was a thing and I thought, why not, let’s try this and see.”
Current project
Her favorite part of being a designer is that she can manipulate fabric and string to create something beautiful. “Currently I am working on a line of baby/toddler sweaters. I am so hooked on making faux pleated skirts in adorable prints for little girls. And then creating a sweater to match that print. The first was a sweater to match baby foxes. Then I found “Gobble Till You Wobble” fabric that had turkey’s all over it. The fabric is so cute, so I designed a “Turkey Tail” pullover hoodie. It is such a fun design! Next is a snowman sweater.”
Her hand-picked patterns
I asked my featured friend to share a few of her favorite patterns that she’s designed and is offering as patterns for sale. When you click on any of the images below, you will be redirected to the pattern on her Ravelry Store.
Biggest tip!
I asked Kris what her biggest tip would be to share with a new crafter and she has such a lovely answer, “Don’t be afraid to spread your wings and explore. Use mixed media, and you don’t always have to do things like everyone else is. Just be yourself and don’t apologize for it.”
And, although it’s great to get to know designers on a professional level, I also think it’s great to get to know them on a personal level. Kris’ passion “for life and living is Jesus Christ. Without him I could do nothing of any value. It is because of him that I have a joy in my life that over takes any sadness that comes my way.” Kris and her husband are very active in their church helping members recover from substance abuse, depression, finances or anything else that they are currently struggling with in life. Her husband is currently the RU director at their church and she has been teaching the children in Jr. Church ministries for 34 years.
A little personal tidbit
Kris lives in Looneyville, WV. Her home place is Wiseburg WV, and she giggles about how ironic the names are. She was born in upstate New York. Her father was in the Air Force and was stationed in Plattsburg and her family came back to WV after he left the service. Kris has been married 40 years, and she has 5 children and 4 grandchildren. She says, “I love my children and I am so proud of each one. But, those grand-babies have stolen my heart!”
To follow my featured friend, Kris on social media and visit her website, here are the links:
Website • Facebook • Instagram • YouTube • Ravelry • Pinterest • Etsy
Thank you for taking the time to read and learn more about my featured friend! Check back next week (or subscribe to my newsletter) to meet the wonderful Courtney with Creations by Courtney.
Enjoy your weekend and thank you again!
Stacy J