In the meantime, here is my latest featured shop: Sam's Crochet from the Etsy Hookers Team. I hope you enjoy getting to know Samira of Sam's Crochet as much as I did!
1) How did you get into crafting?
My aunt was a yarn crafter for as long as I can remember. She taught me the basics of knitting, which I have yet to improve upon. She used to send us knitted sweater for our birthdays every year. My brother has one based on Quantum Leap.
My grandmother taught me to crochet in grade school. I spent the first week in the summertime making a LONG chain and single or dc all the way back. We spent the day out on a long dock fishing and I crocheted the length of the dock and back.
My aunt passed away a few years ago and left her closets full of yarn. I am still working on some of that yarn, and crochet in honor of her. I know she'd be proud to know I'm doing what I love.
2) How did your Etsy shop come to be?
My grandmother taught me to crochet in grade school. I spent the first week in the summertime making a LONG chain and single or dc all the way back. We spent the day out on a long dock fishing and I crocheted the length of the dock and back.
My aunt passed away a few years ago and left her closets full of yarn. I am still working on some of that yarn, and crochet in honor of her. I know she'd be proud to know I'm doing what I love.
2) How did your Etsy shop come to be?
Crochet has been in my cycle of crafting for a long time. I take it with me everywhere. While the front desk at a gym I would sit and crochet. Members (young and old alike) would tell me I should sell my stuff. I finally got online to do some research and came across Etsy. I've had my shop for coming up on two years on Feb 23rd. My mom does yoga, and she asked for a bag. The first one I made was WAY too complicated to replicate, but hers was the 2nd, and it's grown from there. As a soon-to-be massage therapist, health and fitness are dear to me.
3) Tell me about your shop name.
3) Tell me about your shop name.
I hadn't honed my focus yet for health and fitness crochet when I started. I love my full name, Samira, and wanted to include it, but decided I wanted something easier to remember. Most know me by Sam.
4) What is your favorite part about being creative?I love when someone comes up to me, or leaves feedback of "so cute, how did you come up with that?" It's usually something I've just attempted to recreate and been happy with. Most things I see throughout my day, I think about how I could make in a crochet style. Most recent example: I use a fabric bag created for 6 bottle of wine as a project bag. I have a few of them, and have been wanting to see if making them in crochet would make for useful bags. My best friend requested something as a craft bag for her mother in-law and gave me reason to make it! It's nearly finished, and I think it will work great.
5) Are you a full-time crafter or do you have a "day job"?I've had a day job. I'm coming up on two years on Etsy and am just now at the point where I'm thinking about doing it even more full-time. I bar tend on the weekends, and am in the process of getting licensed in the state of Montana to offer massage therapy. Between all my favorite things, I need to keep on top of stretching and being very careful with my wrists.
6) If someone were to buy you a birthday gift on Etsy, what 3 words would they use in their search?hooks, original, humor. I can always use more crochet hooks (which I have all covered by PolymerClayCreations), and I love things that no one else has, especially if they make me smile.
7) How do you create your designs?Many of them are customer requests that I've attempted. The bag I mentioned, a couple of Christmas pins, some scarves, a set of lovecuffs (which he immediately ordered another pair of). I tend to be a cut and paste individual. Just like take quotes from others for a term paper, I take a piece of this and a part of that to make my own. Every stitch has been done in crochet, I just try to figure out new layouts to use them in.
8) What is your inspiration?I want to use something my customer will use, love, and treasure for years to come. Small things to make their fitness life easier to keep on track, or a fun item to make them smile.
9)If you had to choose 1 item in your shop as a signature piece, what would it be and why?Any of my yoga mat bags. They are the main focus for my originality on Etsy. I try to steer clear of things that other crocheters are making. My apple cozies are the most popular of my items. My version is just enough different from others' to really fill a niche.
10) What is your favorite item to create and why?Thankfully the things that are the most popular. I love to make apple cozies, and yoga mat bags. I go through items in batches. I'll do a big bushel of apple cozies, then a bunch of hats, and then a handful of yoga mat bags, or slings. Most important to my being able to continue to create is the variety.
11) Do you have a blog of your own where people can get to know you better? A Facebook or Twitter account?I have a FB account which I use as my blog. I post WIP (work in progress) photos for new items, as well as links to fun items or shops I come across on Etsy. My FB is linked to my Twitter account, so when I post on FB it automatically transfers the same to a Tweet.
www.facebook.com/samscrochet
www.twitter.com/samscrochet
Thank you, Samira, for taking the time to answer all of my questions and allow us a glimpse into your life. It was an honor to get to know you better!
Oh, and yay for getting back on schedule and actually getting my feature done on Monday! Plus, I'm going to be creating a treasury today (a few days early) in honor of Valentine's Day. It should be lots of fun! =)
