You’re officially a member of the pom-pom glitterati! What first inspired you to get started?
When I was younger, I loved drawing and crafting, and I kept up my creative side with various hobbies throughout the years. I used to work at a craft shop, and first started making pom-poms to use in shop displays and as samples for workshops. I didn’t ever dream that it would eventually lead to me publishing a book!

Your designs have a distinctive life-like look. Where did you find the inspiration?
When I first started, I used to work with just two colours to create animals, such as sheep and birds. But one day, I decided to try and make a squirrel instead – this was when I first discovered the joy of making patterned pom-poms. I’ve always liked needle felting so working with yarn came quite naturally to me. I was also influenced by Steiff’s range of toys: I’d seen some images on their website and thought their products were simply adorable!

Trikotri

So tell us, what’s the secret behind creating your fabulous makes?
I tend to skip the sketching stage and start working on the project right away, referring to photos as I go. I take notes: recording yarn colours, positioning and how many times I’ve wrapped it around. I create a sample first, then try to improve on it by changing the position of the colours and the volume. It usually takes a few trial runs to come up to the best possible method.

Pom-poms have led you to become ‘Insta Famous’! How has the app influenced your work?
I think my designs have become popular as they have the heart-melting sweetness that real animals possess but at the same time, combine the quirkiness of stuffed animals. Instagram has been such a helpful way to showcase my work. It’s not very common for a Japanese craft book to be translated into English, and I believe this incredible opportunity has been thanks to the support I’ve received online.

Trikotri

Speaking of your new book, can you give us a taster of what we can expect to find inside?
There are 40 different projects in Pom Pom Animals to choose from, including a bear, rabbit, sheep, squirrel and a seal to name just a few. There’s a real mix for every skill level – if you’re a complete beginner, I’d encourage you to have a go! While the yarns I’ve used in the book are made in Japan, you can easily swap these with ones from your stash in similar colours and weights.

Finally, if you had to pick one – what’s your favourite animal from the book?
While it doesn’t play a starring role in the title, it has to be the little sparrow. I love it, and I hope that it will be well-received by my readers. I’ve got so many more ideas that I would like to try out though. My main motivation is to keep on creating; I will hopefully be writing more books and designing more pom-pom making kits soon. Watch this space!

Trikotri

Learn how to create your very own adorable critters with help from Trikotri’s brand-new book Pom Pom Animals. On sale from June 21st at amazon.co.uk

Want more pom-pom goodness? Don't miss Make It Today's Pom-Pom Mag 'n' Makes, issue 48, on sale from 10th October!

Trikotri