Hey there, can you introduce yourself?

Hi, I’m Tessa van Riet-Ernst and I am from the Netherlands. I live in a place called Alphen aan den Rijn, a city near Amsterdam. I’m married and have three children - two boys and a little girl. I started crocheting and designing amigurumi in 2005. Alongside, I opened a webshop, selling yarn and crochet accessories, and it was quite a success. I gave workshops to teach others how to crochet and, before I knew, I had a brick-and-mortar store stuffed with yarn and - luckily - a lot of customers. In 2011 my store grew too big to handle in combination with my growing kids. I made the decision to sell the store and dedicate my time to my family and become a full time amigurumi designer. I was not an easy choice to make
but I really enjoy my life as it is now. I have the time to do what I love doing most: Taking care of my kids and designing! Between 2010 and now I have written about 10 books. "Amigurumi Fairy Tales" is my latest.

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Tell us a bit about the book?

In "Amigurumi Fairy Tales" I re-vamped some of the world's most famous fairy tale characters. And I could not resist, I gave them a little bit of a Woolytoons character as well. The big bad wolf is secretly a softy, but he tries to look more dangerous by wearing a spiky collar. And Prince Charming is still not sure which princess stole his heart: the lovely Snow White or Cinderella. Or maybe Rapunzel, with her beautiful long hair? Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood, the seven goats, the ugly duckling and the three little pigs all play a leading role. The book contains 8 fairytales stories and over 20 amigurumi patterns.

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What was the inspiration behind it?

As a child I was drawn as a magnet to the thick Fairy tales books with their deep red covers and golden letters that we had in our bookcase. I thought every tale was equally stunning. The good always won from evil and they lived happily ever after. Later in life, I understood the moral of the tales, Fairy tales really reveal what you’ll encounter in your own life: happiness, sadness, temptations, jealousy, injustice, friendship love and loss. Fairy tales inspire and surprise, they take you to a magical world where both
children and adults never get bored. That’s why I thought it was an honor to make this book.

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Which is your favourite project?

Although the seven dwarfs are too cute to crochet, my personal favorite is the big, but not so bad, wolf. He is trying so hard to be a scary villain but everybody loves him. I also quite love the Ugly Duckling - which is not that ugly at all.

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What is your craft space like?

I used to have a room all for myself to work and store my crochet supply but then I had my little girl and my crochet-room became a nursery. I now work in the living room. I’ve got a big table covered with yarn, books, projects and other crafty stuff. It isn’t the most practical way to work, but I can multi-task as a designer/mom.

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Have you always been creative?

Yes, I have always been creative. My mother is creative and my grandmother too. I think it runs in the family. It’s not just crochet, but also working with fabric, clay, paper,... You name it, we love it.

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When did you first start crafting?

I think I’ve started crafting, even before I can remember it. The first thing I do remember making is a schoolbag with embroidery. My mom has got an attic filled with kindergarten projects. I can’t say I remember making them but it’s nice to see all my childhood craft projects have withstood time.

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Who are your crafty heroes?

This is a hard question ! I love a lot of authors and crafty persons. It’s difficult to make a choice. Maybe just some name dropping? IIdikko, Babsies Hook, creJJtion,Yvestown, Draad en Praat, Vlada Homnyuk, Christel Krukkert, Mala designs, DenDennis, Elisabeth Doherty,... I can go on and on.

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Where do you find inspiration?

I can find inspiration in everything. Sometimes it is a picture or an illustration I see. But it can also be an art project at school or something I see when I take a walk. Pinterest is a nice place to visit when you’re looking for some inspiration.

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What's next for you?

My new book Amigurumi & Monsters is coming out in October 2015. And I’m working on the next book as we speak. The next book will contain all sorts of crochet projects. I just can’t stop crocheting, I’m an addict.

Amigurumi-expert and fairy tale lover Tessa van Riet-Ernst puts numerous world famous fairy tale characters in a new crochet jacket. Of course Tessa put a bit of herself in there as well. The big bad wolf is secretly a softy, but he tries to look more dangerous by wearing a spiky collar. And Prince Charming is still not sure which princess stole his heart: the lovely Snow White or Cinderella. Or maybe Rapunzel, with her beautiful long hair? Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood, the seven goats, the ugly duckling and the three little pigs all play a leading role.



This book contains 8 world famous stories and more than 20 new patterns. Projects ranging from beginner to advanced crocheter. Find complete instructions for all basic stitches needed and lots of pictures of each character from all sides.