Do you love crochet? Then the name DenDennis has probably crossed your path. His books are in every craft shop and he has a fanbase to be reckoned with. No surprise, because everything he designs is a joy. Today in the spotlight: Dennis van den Brink.
Why DenDennis
Dennis has been known as DenDennis for years, but where does that name actually come from? “Oh, that’s a funny story! As a teenager my brother and his friends already called me DenDennis, after a well-known British bass player from the eighties who went by the same name.”
“From the moment my brother and his friends started calling me that, the name stuck. Creating accounts for video games in actual arcades, and later online. So when I started crocheting and had to come up with a name right at the start of the Instagram era, the choice was easy.”
Never stopped since
In 2011 Dennis made his first attempt at crochet, and it wasn’t an instant success. “I didn’t really get it back then. A year later I picked it up again and the penny dropped. I haven’t stopped since.
My first real project was a Mario plushie I’d seen at Stephanie Lau of All About Ami. With YouTube and a bit of help from my mother, I managed to finish it in a couple of months.”
Biggest sources of inspiration
On the crochet side, Dennis draws inspiration from names like Theresacrochet and amigurumi.com. But he also loves following things that have nothing to do with crochet. “Paperfuel, Cricut, Gouden Lijntjes and of course my big knitting brother Mr. Knitbear. On top of that I get a lot of inspiration from brisk walks outdoors and from film. Think cartoons, Studio Ghibli, Star Wars, Marvel and so on.”
“Amigurumi is my favorite thing to make,” says the designer who has written no fewer than 11 amigurumi books in the past ten years. Of all his patterns, he’s proudest of his Dendennis amigurumi. “That one’s my favorite. It’s fun to make a sort of caricature of yourself who also gets to have brave adventures.”
A different technique in every project
“I’m also proud of my very first own pattern: Molar. It’s a crochet molar tooth. Still one of my best-selling patterns. Oh, and let’s not forget my baby line ‘The Little Woodland Adventures’. A complete series for kitting out a nursery. Every project in the line teaches you a different technique.
On top of that, Wim aka Mr. Knitbear and I have made four books together and organized some wonderful crochet and knitting weekends. And aaah, okay, I could go on for a long time, but really I’m very proud of all my projects.”
Perfection doesn’t exist
Even though Dennis has had crochet down for a while now, things still go wrong for him too. “For one of my books I wanted to crochet a little car, starting from a magic ring but with square corners. I spent two and a half months on it. Frogging it and trying again, over and over.
In the end it simply didn’t work. As soon as you stuff a plushie it rounds out, so your square corners are gone. That’s why I turned them into dinosaurs on wheels instead. What a frustration that was. Two and a half months of crochet for a project not even four inches tall, and then it still doesn’t work.”
WIPs (works in progress)
Until a few years ago Dennis only ever crocheted one plushie at a time. He wouldn’t let himself start a new project until the previous one was finished. But since he also discovered knitting almost five years ago, that’s a different story. “All of a sudden I have something like eight WIPs.
I once had the idea of organizing crochet weekends where everyone could finish their WIPs. Fully catered, so you do nothing but wrap up your unfinished projects. Sadly it never happened, but maybe I should pick that idea up again.”
Dreaming up new projects, the crocheting itself, sewing the separate pieces together and watching your project come to life: Dennis loves everything about crochet. “Seeing the end result is wonderful. And if you can make someone else happy with it too, the picture is complete.”
On the hook right now
Dennis currently has two fluffy projects on the go. “Made with Durable Velvet. That’s a super soft, chunky yarn. They’re going to be plushies: a Dikkie Dik and a Dendennis doll. Extra large and extra soft. Just fantastic!
I’m also knitting three different pairs of socks. I see those as relaxing little in-betweens. Last week I bought a punch needle kit to try out. One day I’d like to design for that too. And oh yes, I’m designing two other new crochet projects as well!”
Favorite crochet spot
“I really do always have some crochet with me. My favorite place to crochet or knit is on the train. A train journey without a crochet or knitting project would be unbearable for me. In a month I’m going to Cologne. That’s four solid hours of sitting on a train and crocheting. I’m looking forward to it already.
Honestly, I crochet everywhere: in the park, at home on the couch, at my desk, outside in my front garden or walking through the park.”
Plans for the future
Dennis has already done an enormous amount, but he has no plans to put the hook down any time soon. “I’m already thinking up new books for 2024: knitting socks, knitting hats, designing new amigurumi. I always have new projects in my head.”
Want to see, read or hear more from Dendennis?
Dennis is active on Instagram and Facebook. He’s also a regular at craft fairs, and his website is getting a make-over as we speak (so you’ll soon be able to buy individual patterns there too), so keep an eye on it!
