The Friends Beanie, and the Girls Sweater by Meghan Ballmer of Meghan Makes Do are two of some of the amazing patterns found inside ‘Friends: The One With The Crochet’ and I can’t wait to make both of them and wear them every day!! Meghan has such an amazing eye for design, and everything she makes just oozes comfort and streamlined perfection! Take a peek at these two amazing designs from the upcoming Friends crochet book!
Where to Purchase ‘Friends: The One With Crochet’ by Lee Sartori
The ‘Friends: The One With The Crochet’ Book is so special to my heart! You can read all about how it was created and learn more about our upcoming Virtual Book Tour Dates with all of the designers involved here >> https://www.cococrochetlee.com/friends-the-one-with-crochet-book/
The Pre-Order and Release Date
Before I introduce you to more of ‘Friends: The One With The Crochet’ by Lee Sartori, let me tell you about where you can purchase the book!
-The Pre-Order Campaign has officially begun, and when you purchase your pre-order through the publisher of this book, Insight Editions, you will receive a bonus pattern PDF sent to you as a free gift!
You can also purchase the book on Amazon here >>
The book officially releases on April 25th, 2023, so there is plenty of time to secure your copy with a pre-order.
Interviewing Crochet Designer Meghan Ballmer
I have been friends with Meghan Ballmer of Meghan Makes Do for several years now, and I just love her so much! We’ve gotten to hang out a few times in person, but it’s the everyday chats, confessions, vent-sessions, and collaborations that I treasure the most! Meghan is an incredible designer, and I am always in awe of her eye for gorgeous designs that scream ‘cozy’. Everything she makes belongs in a magazine, and also every pattern needs to be in my cart of things to make so I can have one of my own!
For her two designs in the Friends: The One With Crochet book, Meghan did an exceptional job, and her patterns are gorgeous! I can’t wait to see people make them when the book releases this April! Thank you for being an amazing friend, Meghan, and for joining me on this project!
Here is our interview for our Virtual Book Tour, but before you dive in, be sure to follow Meghan on her social media on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, and her Blog!
1). Can you tell me about how you became part of the Friends Crochet Book, and any experiences/thoughts/feelings you had at joining the book?
I found out about the Friends Crochet Book from you, Lee and when you said you were looking
for designers, I knew I had to jump on this opportunity. I was so excited to get to chance to
design something from one of my favorite tv shows. I was also a bit nervous though because I
had never done color work on a garment before and was worried about getting the design just
right. At first, I was just going to do the beanie because I had a few other deadlines coming up,
but then I just kept thinking about the sweater and knew I couldn’t let it pass me by. I’m so glad I
went with my gut and decided to do both designs.
2). Describe your design and its inspiration in relation to the Show.
I designed two pieces for the book, the Friends Logo beanie, and the Girls Sweater. The beanie
was inspired by the classic Friends Logo that we all know and love. I spent a lot of time getting
the color work for the letters just right. The Girls Sweater is inspired by the t-shirt and sweatshirt
that both Monica and Rachel have worn on the show. It features the word Girls in the same
script font and a classic crew neckline. It’s so comfy and fits like your favorite sweatshirt.
3). How did you approach your design? Was there anything you found fun or exciting about the design process?
I started with the beanie because I figured it would work up the fastest. It took a bit to get the
letters right since I used a worsted-weight yarn and had a limited amount of stitches/space to
work with. After several attempts and swatches, I finally got it right and I’m so pleased with the
final result. From there it was smooth sailing adding the colored dots and then working rounds of
single crochet. I also made sure that hiding all the floats from the color work was super easy by
making it a double brim. It’s the perfect warm and cozy hat for the winter.
The Girls sweater ended up being one of my favorite designs of all time. I used simple stitches
to keep it easy for beginners and to make the color work really pop. Getting the Girls script
worked out was a lot easier than the beanie since I had more stitches/space to work with. Then
it was just a matter of grading the pattern for each size and working it up. I used a classic crew
neckline to mimic the look and feel of a sweatshirt and let me tell you, this is the most flattering
and comfortable sweater I’ve ever made. It is size inclusive and looks great with jeans or
leggings. Perfect for lounging on the couch while binge-watching Friends!
4). Are you a fan of the Friends TV Show? What are some of your favourite memories or moments?
I’m a huge fan of the show. I’ve watched it straight through several times. Some of my favorite
moments from the show are when Phoebe was teaching Joey French and he just couldn’t get it.
When they are trying to get Ross’s new couch up the stairs and he’s yelling “Pivot” over and
over. The moment when they are watching old home movies and Rachel realizes that Ross was
going to take her to prom when her date ditched her. And when Rachel and Chandler are
caught eating cheesecake off the floor by Joey and he doesn’t even question it and joins right in
LOL!
5). If you could make any other design from the book, which would you make first? Why?
All of them! LOL. They are all so special and unique to what they represent from the show that
it’s so hard to pick just one, but I think the first design I would make are the little umbrella
coasters. They remind me of the opening of the show and are just so adorable. Plus, I love a
good coaster for my morning cup of coffee to sit on.
6). Is there anything else you would like to add to your feature? Tips/advice/shout-outs etc.
My advice would be to make sure to read through the pattern in its entirety before you get
started. I know I have a hard time not just jumping right in, but if you familiarize yourself with the
pattern first then you won’t be surprised by anything that may pop up.
Also, a huge shout out to all the designers, sample crocheters, and yarn support providers that
helped make this book. Everyone is so incredibly talented and it was such an honor to be a part
of this amazing piece of work.
Pattern Support
Because this book will be distributed and sold worldwide, the designers and Author of ‘Friends: The One With The Crochet’ will not be available for the high volume of pattern support questions related to each of the designs inside the book. If you have a pattern question, please do not contact the designers directly, but rather contact the Publishers at info@insighteditions.com – and they will be happy to help you. If needed, the Publishers will contact the designers directly on your behalf. Thank you for your understanding!
Thank you so much for your support of ‘Friends: The One With Crochet’ by Lee Sartori. I am so thrilled that this book is out there for you to enjoy! If you make anything, please tag me on Instagram at @coco.crochet.lee and use the hashtag #friendscrochetbook and #friendstheonewithcrochetbook so we can see your beautiful makes!
