To talk about why I started blogging, I need to start with my making journey. I was young, only in 6th grade when my great-grandmother taught me to knit. That’s where it starts, as it had become an obsession. I learned to knit in the era of Livejournal and blogs running the internet. Mind you, this was pre-Ravelry so trolling the knitting blogs was how I found patterns and inspiration! Needless to say, I had quite a few blogs of my own throughout the years, so it felt natural to get back into the game now as an entrepreneur. Today I’m talking about how 20 years of knitting has grown into “knit-fluencing.”
Going off on my own
At the beginning of 2022, I decided to quit my full time job. I am a licensed interior designer, and had been working in the field on the commercial side for 6 years. There were two times throughout my career where I had taken on side work, and the first was for a local photographer which is what kicked me off into starting my own interior design business… tax purposes.
I was wayyy too shy to continue with my business at that time, and ended up changing jobs within a year of kicking that venture off. I stayed at that new place of employment for almost 5 years, through the pandemic, and ultimately became bored with the work. In interior design, there are so many avenues you can take, and although I was bored, I needed something easier and more flexible to tackle so I could kick-off my side business again.
Amidst leaving that job, I had a lot of great conversations with my boss about why I was leaving, things that they could do to improve the work environment, among many other things. I wasn’t planning to, but I did end up telling them I was going off on my own, and their immediate question was if I was starting a knitting business. Our team was very personable, so it was no shock that I was a knitter!! At the time, it was a hard no on the knitting business but it was something that stayed in the back of my mind for months after that. 👀
Lights Me Up
Along with going off on my own, I was a part of a business networking group. I had some dear friends in this group, who knew about my knitting and always would complement me on it, and then comment on how I light up whenever I talk about my makes.
Truth is, I had so much fear and hesitation on making income through my knitting because the only route I could see was through knitting for others on commission which sounds like a nightmare. Or becoming a prolific designer, which I will always doubt myself. (Math is hard.)
Eventually, I got pregnant! So I dropped out of my business group and just worked the bare minimum through my contract design work because I was just EXHAUSTED. I think I slept all summer in 2022! Plus, your life just full on changes when you get pregnant. I know, not a crazy concept, but it’s so much truer than I thought it ever would be! I came to disdain the work I was doing for interiors, and also for shopping for my ever changing body. I found so much more value in making my own clothes and working through my knitting and sewing stash whenever I didn’t feel absolutely dead.
I know my knitting and other crafts are what light me up. Whenever I’m working, even on interior design, I’m thinking of what I would be able to knit or sew when I was done with work. So, I though of finding a new job, but nothing really was jumping out to me. This prompted me to start researching how to make money with knitting that didn’t involve, you know… knitting. 😅 Thus, here we are!
Connecting with Other Makers
Obviously, money has been a huge component to starting this little venture, but I’ve also craved finding fellow makers! I used to be fairly active on the Ravelry forums, but it feels a little harder to connect with friends and makers across the world these days.
One of the best things about blogging has been connecting with other makers. I’ve been able to share tips and ideas with people from all over the world, and it’s been amazing to see how much creativity there is out there. I’ve also been able to learn new techniques and try new projects, which has been incredibly fulfilling.
Starting a blog has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s allowed me to share my love of crafting with others, connect with like-minded people, and learn new things. Whether you’re interested in crafting or something else entirely, I encourage you to start a blog and share your passions with the world. Who knows? You might just inspire someone else to take up a new hobby.
