Hi and welcome!

I’m Mellie, Midwestern mama to two beautiful growing boys and my dear little baby girl.

I taught myself how to crochet as a teenager when I was following around the Grateful Dead.  I had always loved art and crafting, and I sold all sorts of handmade jewelry and crafts at shows.  After that ended, I attended and graduated from art school with a degree in interior design.  It was there that I learned and fell in love with the fundamentals of color and design.

It was a few years later when I was pregnant with my first that I actually began to crochet in earnest.  My great-grandmothers had crocheted beautiful afghans that became family heirlooms and once I made my first, I was “hooked”!  Soon after, my second little boy was born, and I spent another nine long months creating and crocheting anything soft and warm to cuddle him up in.  Afghans remain my favorite project to crochet to this day.  I *love* Ravelry, and I credit my joining there with refining my crochet skills.  There are so many wonderful patterns and creative people there, I find myself inspired each time I visit.

I’ve lately started knitting and spinning my own yarn as well, though I’m nowhere near as proficient as I am with crochet.  I also dabble in cross-stitch and occasionally try my hand at the many crafty ideas over on my Pinterest boards.  I’m a huge sucker for all the seasons and holidays.  I’m the mom on the block whose place is totally decked out for every occasion!

I also spend an incredible amount of time cooking and baking.  I’ve been vegetarian for over 25 years, and I’ve grown to love experimenting with different recipes and combining different flavors.  I’ve never met a vegetable that I didn’t like!  However, I still love – and try to re-create – my grandmother’s traditional Slovak cooking that I grew up on, tweaking them to be meatless yet still full of flavor.

Besides cooking and crochet, I spend most of my time playing with and homeschooling my children, and going out into nature as much as possible … and any extra time is spent cleaning up the mess that my children and crafting leave behind!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sell products made from your patterns?

Yes!  Feel free to use my patterns to sell online or in the real world.  My one request is to add a link back to the free pattern with credit for the design if you’re selling online.  If you’re selling at a craft show or in a shop, include the link on the tag.

Can I use your photos on my website?

You may use my photos on your personal blog or website (non-commercial).  Please include a link back to mellieblossom.com either in the photo description or linked from the photo itself.  Make certain that the mellieblossom.com watermark is clearly visible, and do not alter the photo in any way.  Please do not claim my photos as your own.

Will you send me a copy of a crochet pattern?

Due to copyright laws, I cannot send you a copy of someone else’s pattern.  Whenever possible, I post links to the pattern so that you can obtain it for yourself.  

Do you have any more free yarn to donate to my charity/church/other group?

I hosted a yarn giveaway for several weeks toward the end of 2013 to thin out my yarn hoard.  As of right now, all of my extra yarn has been given away or otherwise donated to charitable groups.  If my yarn stash gets out of hand again, I’ll definitely let you know and start another set of giveaways.

One of my favorite photos: my youngest son – at only 19 days old – and me.