One door closes, and another opens…

You may be a seasoned crocheter or a total beginner, either way I welcome you! I hope you find many good tips and keep coming back. A little about myself. I have been a crafty gal my whole life, artist but not Picasso you know. If there was a fad craft I was on board. I have done decoupage, wooden signs, acrylic paintings, scrapbooking, card making and so much more.

One thing I always do, use my hobby as a side hustle. I have been able to monetize my hobbies to pay for themselves many times. I taught Paint and Sip nights to put myself through school. taught scrapbooking classes so I could afford the Cricut, I have even owned a small craft studio and hosted classes until the dreaded COVID came and kyboshed it. The point is, I feel like there is so much to share when it comes to hobbies and I always love teaching others what I know. Crocheting is no different.

After my shop closed, I was depressed. I had my dream in the palm of my hand and it fell through and ‘failed’. It took almost a year before I was able to feel creative again. I wanted too but I just didn’t have it in me. So I would scroll through Pinterest and hope something would pop out at me and give me my crafty mojo back. That’s when I am at my happiest, when I am planning and creating. My husband tried to help too, he would share ideas and try his best to support me through it.

Each year at Christmas, I looked for handmade ideas to give as gifts. I have always felt they were so much more valuable then whatever I could buy from a store. So hopelessly I scrolled through Pinterest until I saw a simple project “crochet coffee coasters” as a gift idea. I had crocheted years ago and was only ever able to complete a colourful crooked hand towel that I still have, I can’t bring myself to get rid of it. I enjoyed it but it was a challenge. Maybe that’s what I needed though, a challenge. There was finally a spark, granted a very small weak spark but none the less it was there. I went to my local dollar store, not wanting to spend much especially if my project turned out like the towel years before. I grabbed a couple cheap plastic hooks and yarn. That was it. I spent maybe $10. Then onto YouTube it was. I watched a video and thought, I got this. Well, I did not. I chose a circle pattern for coasters, A square is one thing but a circle..how in the heck? I was all thumbs of course. and my first coaster was hilarious, I remember showing it to my husband saying ” look what I made your mom for Christmas” his response was ” oh nice, what is it?” lol. I knew it was a mess, so I unraveled it and started again. It was the dang magic ring that got me. It was so awkward but I was determined to figure it out. About 8 start overs, numerous YouTube tutorials and sore fingers later I had something presentable. Now to make 3 more for the set.

After that I was ‘hooked’ pun intended. I decided to continue using my crappy plastic hooks and grabbed cheap yarn that makes me cringe now. I created project after project each one getting slightly better. I was asked to create a monstera coffee coaster set for a friend, and I knew I could but there was not a pattern out there that included a video (my fave way to learn). There were projects similar but nothing that was quite right. So being the ever so confident optimist I decided I can make my own pattern. I was kind of impressed with the turn out too. I thought if I can recreate this pattern and add a video to it and share for others maybe I can make money selling patterns.

I got my video all created, using Canva I created a PDF pattern and pictures to advertise it and popped it on ETSY. At first there was nothing. crickets were =loud. I thought here I go again getting all excited and then immediate disappointment. I shared my pattern on some facebook pages that allowed it and all of a sudden I started to here the cha Ching of the notification of a sale! It was sooo exciting. My son and hubby would repeat it every time sharing in the excitement. Cha Ching, cha Ching.. I have sold over $2000 worth i=of this one pattern so far. That may not be much to some but for me, I am so proud of that success.

I have so much more to share, and I am in the beginning stages still trying to learn blogging and video tips as well as work a full time job. My dream would be to do this full time and earn enough to make life comfortable. Currently I will settle for side hustle money. Join me in sharing the process of being a crochet business owner! I will stumble and fall but I will always get back up and try again. Crocheting is a form of therapy, a way to make money and overall a lifesaver to me. I look forward to sharing this process with you!

XO Crystal

P.S. Check out my first official pattern here