I so loved mentoring Anna Peterson through the inaugural running of my Mentorship in crochet pattern publication.

From the get go, I was so pleased I chose Anna, as not only were her application questions thoughtful and considered, that is how she continued as we met each month and created 2 patterns over our time together.

Sure, life happened for both of us and the Mentorship continued longer than the initial 6 months planned, but I am so happy with the outcome.

Achillea Granny Square

Anna applied for the mentorship with a very clear idea for the design she wanted to develop, but before we started on that in earnest, we set up some standards with a granny square. This enabled Anna to think clearly on a small scale the ways she wanted to express instructions, and begin setting up templates to build on.

The Achillea granny square is available for free on Ravelry here.

While Anna was making that live, she was also working on many aspects of being a crochet designer in the background. There’s a lot to it and Anna started on what she could while realising this is a long game and parking some things to act on later. All photos from here on in are Anna’s.

The design that drove Anna to apply soon came into being. Anna worked hard on the prototype and developing the pattern along side standards set up with the granny square.

And soon, we will see the release of her application pattern, the La Svolta Scarf, inspired by the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre/Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre building in Melbourne, where staff strive to create a turning point in cancer research.

La Svolta is live on Ravelry

Anna’s Musings

Here are Anna thoughts about the mentorship.

The mentorship helped me understand the full reality of pattern design, from idea through to refinement, testing and sharing, as well as the business side of publishing patterns. Shelley provided both the support to work through the more vulnerable parts of creating and sharing my work, and practical tools and processes I’ll continue to use as I keep designing.

What surprised you most about the mentorship?

What surprised me most was how much of the work sits in thinking, refining, business marketing, not just the making. I thought I had a good understanding of the process going in, having read quite a few blogs and books on pattern design, but the reality of doing it myself was very different. I expected to produce a pattern more quickly, but the depth of the process really changed my perspective. I was also surprised by how much time the social media and marketing side takes alongside the design work.

How has your approach to designing or thinking about crochet changed?

I’ve become much more intentional, often parking questions and ideas in a “for the future” notebook rather than trying to solve everything at once. I’m thinking more about clarity and the experience of the maker, not just the finished design, and being more considered in the decisions I make along the way.

What was the most challenging part, and what did you learn from that?

Managing scope and time has been the most challenging part, especially with the larger project where the design was not finalised at the start. I’ve had to learn to break things into smaller, achievable pieces and accept that good work takes longer than I expected. There’s also been an emotional side to the process. Creating something to share publicly requires vulnerability, and there were moments of doubt alongside the highs of seeing  others bring my designs to life.

What are you doing differently now compared to before the mentorship?

I’m writing more things down, labelling, documenting my process, and refining systems as I go. I’m also planning to do more swatching and experimenting before settling on a design. The mentorship has given me some key documents I’ll continue to use, like a glossary, pattern template, and style guide, which will help create more consistency in my work.

How has the mentorship shaped what you want to do next?

It’s given me more clarity and confidence in the direction I want to go, and a realistic expectations about building something sustainable. Shelley’s teaching style has been a big part of that, providing clear guidance and support while still giving me the freedom to develop my own design voice and style. The wider team, including testers, tech editor and chart support, were also incredibly welcoming and constructive, which helped me refine my work while feeling encouraged.

It is hard for me to put into words, but this mentorship has given me much more than knowledge and skills and tools. It has made me a better person in other areas of my life too, it has awakened a creative spark I didn’t know existed and has improved my whole mood and approach to life. 

Thank you Anna for being so committed and willing to learn. It has been a joy to watch you grow as a designer and take on so much new knowledge. I am excited to see what you do next!

If you have a crochet design you don’t know what to do with next, I will be offering the mentorship again in 2026-2027. Applications are open now. Click here for all the info.