GAL Interview with Anna Kibalchich-Poda, bannannabears on Ravelry

I got to interview Anna Kibalchich-Poda, bannannabears on Ravelry.

You as a designer questions:
What is your design process?
It is mostly the idea in whole that comes to me, which usually does not have any finite image. I pick yarn colors for it and start working. It happens that the image of the toy is not fully ready, so I give myself an inspirational break and get to something else: repeat the toy to order, or create patterns and video tutorials. For example, one of my latest ideas was to make a toy wearing different socks, as if confused while putting them on. I thought it would be an elephant and I began to create a gray color toy. But in the process, I realized that it was a rabbit, moreover a sleepy one, which is why he confused socks!)))

What influences your style?
Once I was very inspired by the works of Susan by MaryJanesTeaRoom and Julie by LittleCottonRabbit. The way they work with color, with the soft form of a toy! And even though I crochet toys, it seems to me that my toys are also very cute and would love to make friends with toys by Susan and Julie =)))))

What about designing and producing patterns are you most adept at, what parts are you most fond of, and what parts are challenging? (Pattern Grading, the last week of editing, coming up with a name for a project, self promotion?)
Probably one of the most difficult things for me is to set myself up for the pattern creation process. Taking pictures (often I depend on the weather and time of day, since I take pictures only in daylight near the window), then putting the whole process in the form of photo and text combination so that everything was accessible and understandable. It happens so that I already have an idea and an intention to start creating a new toy, but I also need to work on the pattern at the same time =))) So I divide work into pieces: in the morning I take pics for the pattern, and in the evening I crochet a new toy =) Or in the morning I work on the toy, and in the evening I work at the computer.
Self promotion is one of the most important and painful topics for me. I am a novice designer, so my works are narrowly known. I use Pintest, Instagram and Facebook where I share my works.

What do you find most important in photography?
For me, the most important thing in photography is conveying the very nature of the toy, showing its emotions, as well as the feelings that I put into it. I also stick to not using any photo filters, for I want to show the natural colors of yarn that I used.

You as a Giftalong designer:
What have you learned from the promotion?
As far as I can judge quite a few knit or crochet toys designers participate in GAL. I was very pleased to know that the participants liked my works, and for someone I even became the discovery of the year!))))

You as someone who likes to make things questions:
What is your usual process on a fiber project, for instance, do you start with a yarn, a cute pattern, a need you’ve noticed, something exciting you saw in a movie you want to copy, or a technique you want to learn – then what do you do next and then what?
I am really inspired by the colors and structure of yarns! Sometimes you just take a ball of yarn in your hand and an image of what you can create of it is instantly born in your head – some kind of toy or maybe some kind of outfit.

Does anything intimidate you in knitting or crochet?
Definitely, not! On the contrary! I enjoy learning new techniques for me. Only one thing scares me – if someone claims my works as his or her own.

When you want to learn something, do you look it up in a book, on U-tube, or seek a real person to teach you?
Watch U-tube=)))

Any repetitive motion disorders due to knitting or crochet? How do you deal with them?
I am a person of inspiration and I try to do everything only in good spirit. If I’m tired of crocheting, I can always switch to knitting! Such a tool change always cheers me up =)))

What makes you buy a pattern (lovely photo, the story of the project, it looks do-able, it looks slightly challenging…)
Fortunately, I have so many ideas of my own sitting in my head that I simply have no time to create items with someone else’s projects. But I am pleased to look at other artists’ works and would be glad to see some of their toys at my home =))))