August 2020 - KWANNIE CHENG

Kwannie Cheng is the designer behind Studio Manya and is based in The Netherlands.

While on maternity leave in 2013, she learnt the basics of crochet from a neighbour. Kwannie's work took an upturn in 2018 when she was inspired by a friend's social media success to launch her own Instagram account.

The decision to focus on miniatures was, at first, purely a tactical decision: with two kids and a job, Kwannie did not have much time left to crochet. Smaller items would be quicker to finish, meaning more posts, she thought. But she soon realised nothing could be further from the truth! Nevertheless, Kwannie's miniatures have resonated with crocheters around the world, and her work continues to grow.

Kwannie's mission is to show people that there is so much more you can create with crochet, and to capture the not-so-glamorous aspects of everyday life. She hopes this relates to other crocheters, or at least gives them a laugh.

Throughout August, we have four samples from Kwannie's Doll House range on display in the store: the Fridge, Stove, Couch and TV Corner. You can see more of Kwannie's work on her website studiomanya.com and find her patterns on Ravelry and Etsy.