Another Dragon Eye, This Time Inspired by Glory
Sometimes one custom order leads directly into another.
You might remember the dragon eye pillow that came to me already started. Its owner had begun crocheting it herself, lost the desire to finish it, and trusted me to pick up where she left off.
Well, apparently one dragon eye wasn't enough. 😂🐉
This time she came back with another request, but this one had a special purpose.
It was going to be a Christmas gift. 🎄
Her request was:
“I would like another dragon eye pillow. This one will be from a book; Glory, of Wings of Fire. You can look her up to get some ideas.”
And just like that, another dragon eye was headed for my hook.
There’s Usually a Why Behind the What
This order was a little different from the first.
Instead of finishing something she had already started, this time I would be creating the entire pillow myself.
And because it was going to be given as a Christmas gift, she wanted it inspired by a character the recipient would recognize and love.
She gave me one very important place to start:
Glory.
The goal wasn't simply to make another generic dragon eye. This one needed to capture the feel of a specific character from Wings of Fire and turn that inspiration into something she could wrap up and put under the Christmas tree.
So before I could start crocheting, I needed to do a little homework.
From a Favorite Character to My Hook
I started by researching Glory and looking at different images and interpretations of the character.
I paid attention to the colors, the eye, and the little details that made her recognizable. Then came the fun challenge of figuring out how I could translate that inspiration into crochet.
That's one of my favorite parts of custom work.
Sometimes a customer knows exactly what they want down to every last detail.
Other times, they give me a starting point and say, essentially:
“Here's the inspiration. See what you can do with it.”
That gives me room to experiment.
I can pull together the details that feel most important, think about how they'll work in yarn, and create my own handmade interpretation rather than trying to make an exact copy of an existing image.
Little by little, Glory's dragon eye began taking shape.
And this time, I knew the finished piece was going to be someone's Christmas surprise
The Smallest Details Often Become the Biggest Ones
With something like a dragon eye, the details are really what make the entire project.
It's not simply about crocheting an eye onto a pillow.
The colors surrounding it, the shape of the eye, the textures, and the way everything works together are what give it that wonderfully dragon like feel.
And when you're creating something inspired by a beloved character, those choices matter even more.
I wanted someone familiar with Glory to open that Christmas gift, look at the finished pillow, and immediately understand where the inspiration came from while still being able to see my own crochet style in the finished piece.
That's where a custom order gets especially fun for me.
It's part research.
Part problem solving.
Part creativity.
And a whole lot of yarn. 🧶🐉
Every Custom Order Has a Story
I especially love that this customer came back to me for her second dragon eye.
The first time, she trusted me to finish something her own hands had started.
This time, she trusted me with the entire creation and with making a special Christmas gift for someone she cared about.
She brought me the idea, pointed me toward a favorite character, gave me the freedom to research and develop my own interpretation, and let me turn it into a one of a kind gift that couldn't simply be picked up at a store.
I think that's one of the best parts about building relationships through custom orders.
One project gets finished.
Then Christmas rolls around and someone thinks...
“Okay, but what if we made another one?” 😂🎄
And I'm usually more than happy to find out.
What favorite character would you love to see turned into a one of a kind Christmas gift?
Original Pattern by Hooked By Kati
HEY, I’M MELISSA…
Hi, I'm Melissa, the creator behind Naturally, MelissaMade, founder of The Hook Nook, and dreamer of the Purple Peacock Bus.
As a homeschooling mom, homesteader, crochet educator, and handmade artisan, I've discovered the incredible power creativity has to bring peace, confidence, and connection.
What began as a simple hobby became my sanctuary, inspiring a business and community dedicated to helping others experience the therapeutic benefits of crochet one stitch at a time.
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The Hook Nook Chronicles shares crochet tips, inspiration, community stories and creative growth.
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