MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND CHAIN 8 DESIGNS
JENNIFER
Owner & Designer
My name is Jennifer and I’m the owner and designer behind Chain 8 Designs. I come from a long line of crafty men and women. I remember as a child watching my grandmother crochet and my mom dabbled in just about anything crafty. I soaked up all that crafty knowledge like a sponge. Over the years I have tried just about any art or craft: knitting, pastel painting, scrapbooking, photography, cross-stitch, drawing, embroidery, card making, jewelry making, you name it I’ve tried it.
Besides loving all things craft I have been obsessed with home decor and design for as long as I can remember. From middle school through high school, my bedroom was at least 4 different colors. I was always rearranging the furniture and making new art for the walls…I still do. At one point I even though I wanted to be an interior designer. To this day I love making one of a kind things for our home…especially if I can upcycle something. It’s amazing what you can do with a can of spray paint.
THE ROAD TO BLOGGING
After deciding that a career in interior design was not the best fit for me, I ended up working in a criminal defense law firm for 15 years. As someone who has always been into true crime stories, this was a great fit. While it definitely was not like an episode of Law & Order it was a wonderful place to work. In 2013 I was surprised to find out I was pregnant. As someone who had worked since I was 16, I had all plans to go back to work after my maternity leave but my husband (then boyfriend) was offered a job promotion that came with a move to Washington. As much as a loved my job and living in Portland, the thought of being able to stay home with my new little baby won out. We packed up the house, two-month-old baby, the cat and off we went to start a new adventure north (sorry mom! LOL).
It was that first year in Washington that I started crocheting. I remember scrolling through Pinterest and seeing so many cute baby hats, booties, blankets, all the things, and knew I wanted to make some of them. Now, I didn’t know how to do so much as a chain stitch at that point but with the help of Youtube and the wonderful bloggers of the interwebs, I taught myself to crochet. Crochet has definitely become my favorite craft. Who knew that I was opening pandora’s box…I have become a certified yarn hoarder. There is just something about having yarn and hook in hand that makes me happy.
It is because of my love of crochet that I decided to start Chain 8 Designs. At first, it was going to be solely a crochet blog but I love working in so many different mediums, why not include them all! It’s because of those wonderful other bloggers that I discovered my love of crochet so I want to pay it forward by offering patterns and tutorials to hopefully inspire a whole new generation of yarn artist.
DENIS
Head of Human Resources
As Head of Human Resources, Denis sees to the overall health and welfare of myself and our employees. He always has a smile and encouraging word for us. He make sure that we all strive to be our very best and creates a peaceful and productive work environment.
Denis’ other duties include overseeing the training of our security staff and maintaining all work vehicles (we have to be able to get to the craft store! LOL.)
On his off time, Denis loves nothing more than hiking snowy mountains. When he isn’t scaling great heights, he can be found watching college football (GO DUCKS!), Friends, or the Great British Baking Show. He also enjoys night sky photography and spending quality time with family and friends.
SAMMY
Head Photography & Production Assistant / Product Model
As Head Photography & Production Assistant, Sammy helps with shoot setups and lighting controls. She can hold a bounce board better than anyone in the business. She also helps with the construction and finishing of projects. Whether that is painting, sanding, or basic construction, Sammy shines at her job.
On occasion, she fills in as our Product Model. We think she is cute as a button and makes our designs really shine.
On her off time, she enjoys art projects of any kind, swimming, hiking with her daddy, eating cheese, building sandcastles on the beach, and spending time with family and friends.
AXL
Head of Quality Control & Product Testing
As Head of Quality Control, Axl makes sure that each crochet pattern has been thoroughly tested to meet his high standard of snuggle ability. Each finished product is put through a rigorous testing process, it is sniffed, sat on and generally put through the paces to ensure it meets all requirements for comfort. Also as part of his quality control assessment, he alerts to any loose ends that might have been missed during the end weaving process.
When he’s not working, he enjoys chasing bugs, long walks in the neighborhood, head scratches, rolling in catnip, and sleeping, sleeping, and more sleeping.
BAILEY
Head of Security
Bailey is our newest employee and has quickly become an invaluable member of the staff. She takes her job very seriously and works tirelessly to make sure the perimeter of our building is safe and secure. Her duties also include alerting us of the arrival of new supplies and equipment. This is the part of the job where she really shines. Not a delivery goes by where she doesn’t excitedly announce its arrival. I think she is almost as excited about new supplies as I am.
On her off time, she enjoys long walks in the forest, chewing on bones, belly rubs, making sure the cat gets his daily exercise, and playing with her favorite red ball.