Who IS Django Mango?

My name is Amanda Sharpe, and I own and operate Django Mango.  I make organic crochet baby rattles and origami mobiles.

May 2010 Issue of Canadian Family Magazine

I live in Lindsay, Ontario with my husband and my two boys – Finn just turned 6 and Baz is 2.  I make everything by hand, in my smoke-free, pet-free home.

I love to crochet – I find it a very comfortable medium for me to create whatever I want.  I love yarn!  That is clear to anyone who walks into my home!  I also love to knit, which I hardly ever have the time to do, and of course do origami and various other crafts.  I also enjoy needlepoint, embroidery, and cross stitch.  I’ve always really envied sewers, but I can’t seem to get the knack of it.

The name Django Mango…is an homage to both my kids.  When I was pregnant with Baz, I asked Finn which names he liked, and the only one he liked was Django (after Django Reinhardt, the gypsy jazz musician).  He later admitted the only reason he liked it was because it rhymed with mango.  One of Baz’s middle names is Django – Finn’s contribution!  Although, Finn does have the cooler middle name of Danger.

On Inspiration

"This portly fellow is an original that was a made as a special request." -from the Django Mango Website

My kids constantly inspire me!  Also, the kids TV shows that they watch sometimes gives me ideas.

My friends and customers also give me ideas all the time.  I try to think of designs that I would love to come across somewhere.

On Learning to Crochet

I actually just learned how to crochet maybe three years ago, and I am completely self-taught.  I tried to learn for a long time (almost 5 years!), but since I knit first, it was really difficult to learn a whole new way to hold and move the yarn.  I actually still do not crochet properly, it’s more of a knit – crochet hybrid.

The Creation of Django Mango

I decided to have a booth at a local craft show just before Christmas 2008.  I did really well there, so I decided to try and pursue it as a career.  I heard about the SEB program through EI (I was at the end of my maternity leave with Baz) and got accepted into the program last April.  I still go to see my mentor through the program every month and keep in contact with a lot of the other people who I met through the classes.

"I love doing custom work, even though it takes up quite a bit more time!" Amanda Sharpe of Django Mango

The Future of Django Mango

I have recently bought a knitting machine, which is hand driven.  I am hoping to soon be able to increase my production that way, while still keeping my products handmade and locally produced.  I also am looking at publishers hoping to publish a book of my rattle patterns, so that crocheters can make their own rattles, and maybe even develop their own patterns.

On Community and Values

There is a great local yarn store in Lindsay by the name of Kawartha Yarns.  The owner, Naz, has been immensely helpful to me directly and indirectly.  There is a huge community of knitters and crocheters around this area that are always willing to help if you have a problem or question.  I also have a huge circle of friends and acquaintances that are always helpful to me and my business in whatever way they can be – I’m lucky!

Community and family are very important to me.  I have a lot of very close friends and family, and without their support I simply wouldn’t be able to be as successful at my business.  Especially my husband, Sean, who is quite possibly the most supportive and helpful husband there is.

Because community is so important to me I like to purchase locally when I can, and I try to keep stores that carry my products within Ontario.  I hand deliver my product whenever possible, to save my clients on shipping and to give us a chance to connect and communicate about how my products are doing in the stores. I also really like all of the store owners I deal with, and I like to chat with them.

It is … really important to me to use eco friendly materials and methods whenever I can.  All my yarns are organic cotton or fair trade organic cotton, and the fibrefill I use is made from recycled plastic bottles.  I used to make the rattles inside from reused plastic Kinder eggs, but I couldn’t eat enough of them!  I also make some of my mobiles from reclaimed paper – illustrations and bright photos.

On Joining The Cuddly Bunny

When I was searching for local baby boutiques, I found [The Cuddly Bunny] online.  When I went to drop my first order off, that was actually the first time I had ever been to Port Perry!  Everyone who I have dealt with there has been very supportive and helpful!

… I connect with a lot of people in this area; I know that we have a huge artist and artisan community.  I find that Cuddly Bunny really encourages local craftspeople and supports them.  It is nice to see a store that focuses on the products available made by people in its own community.

To Learn More from Django Mango visit http://www.djangomango.ca

To purchase from The Cuddly Bunny visit http://www.cuddlybunny.com