Blog 1: Why

Why did you start a business?

I enjoy making things and I have loved making things for years. I didn’t know that creating Crochet and Woodworking items would be what I’d base a business on. But, it suits my current lifestyle. I’m apart of the sandwich generation where I take care of my young children and my parents. So, I’ve been extra busy coordinating with family and my husband. All this led to the thought of a small business that would fit my needs.

So, yarn work was initially a way for me to take a project on trips. It helped take my mind off of uncontrollable situations. I started to knit a couple years ago and I still want to learn more. I tried to crochet once before, but my brain couldn’t understand the turns at the end of a row. So, I taught myself how to Tunisian crochet by watching YouTube tutorials. This was a great introduction into crochet for me. I grew more patient with myself. I learned how to count stitches. I also learned different properties of stitches and yarn. Then, I finally gave crochet a full try. It stuck! Finally.

I’ve always loved to create things, as I said. I loved gardening and woodworking for many years before this. But, I appreciated that I wasn’t dependent on the weather for this hobby. It was very accessible to learn as well. I didn’t know that so many helpful tools were available for free online. I greatly enjoyed learning new things, and life’s time constraints sent me to some paid tutorial memberships. Here, I was exposed to various skills like how to read patterns and how to gauge. I’m ranting now. This built my basis to jump off from.

In my area, it is very difficult to start a business. Most businesses are larger names and it’s hard to get a foothold into the business backing required. I toyed around with thoughts of a business for a few years. Yet, it always seemed like a fairytale.

This is until I watched enough small business YouTubers, who described getting their initial start selling at craft shows. So, I took the plunge. I had some yarn that was sitting in a big basket and I found some cute patterns. I was very nervous because I tend to mush my words together when I get too excited. I was afraid I’d scare away customers.

I didn’t realize how many people would be so supportive and intrigued with my work. It was a little drop of confidence just to hear them see the work and say it was cute. I enjoyed having animated conversations with some of the customers who wanted to know what led me to sell these specific items. I watched quite a few people walk by without a glance, but it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would.

It’s a beautiful thing when you build little experiences of happiness in your own community. I didn’t expect these feelings when I started. But, I will always cherish them.