My Crochet Journey
It was the summer of '69... Just kidding, I wasn't alive then
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It was really August 2022 and I was cosplaying as Ciri from The Witcher 3 at Comic Con. I spotted a crocheter in artist alley... or really I spotted the red panda hat she was making, thinking it was a fox hat from a Netflix show probably only 5 other people have seen. (I mean, maybe more in Germany where it was filmed). Back then, I didn't understand why crochet was expensive, and yes was that person who said, "I can make that myself."
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When I got home, I borrowed my mom's hook, not knowing what size it was, and bought some yarn, not knowing what type it was, at the only yarn store in town, JoAnn (rest in peace). The yarn ended up being super bulky wool, and guess what, the hat was AWFUL! I didn't know what increasing was so it was full of holes and looked more beret than a beanie.
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Many YouTube videos later and I was starting to get the hang of it. I bought more yarn and successfully made just a normal beanie, albeit still awful but hey we were getting somewhere. More trial more error and the desired fox hat was finally created! I could finally cosplay as an obscure character from a very unknown Netflix show!
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By then, I was hooked, pun very much intended. I continued to create really bad crochet critters, like my first bee which went to my mom, and an octopus which went to a coworker's daughter. With each amigurumi made, I learned and got better to the point where my friends and family started to commission me. If I couldn't find a pattern, I would make one up myself with the techniques I learned through YouTube University.
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I started to bring my crochet to book signings, giving away little whales or other sea-themed creatures to anyone who purchased a book. That got me thinking... What if I did markets with both? Thus the re-branding commenced! I was no longer just an author, but an artist who made art with words and yarn! Books 'n Hooks was born and with it a YouTube channel and a few markets under my belt. Am I a professional? Heck no! But am I constantly growing my blanket of knowledge one loop at a time? You betcha!
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