Strings & Things started out as a hobby, and a very private one at that. Believe it or not, I learned how to knit when I was six years old. The general opinion on that was not exactly positive. I was teased a little growing up because of my beloved hobby (the fact that I’ve always been bookish and dorky didn’t help). For several years I tucked my knitting skills away. I probably didn’t even look at a ball of yarn for close to 10 years.
Yarn became a savior to me during my last year of high school. It helped pull me out of my deep pit of anxiety and managed to keep me grounded. I made my first sale by wearing a scarf to school that I secretly made in my basement. I received so many compliments on that scarf. Lo and behold when people found out that it was handmade, suddenly my hobby wasn’t so dorky.
My business has been quite the journey. The first business name I operated under was “Miss Mae Creations” *ew*. I came up with that name approximately 10 hours before I was going to attend my first craft market. I used to sell soaps and chap sticks. For a while I only sold knitted dishcloths. I couldn’t make a hat using any method until a few years ago. Like I said, quite the journey.
I’ve come to accept that I’ll never truly be happy with what I’ve created, but I think that’s a good thing. I’m always striving to do better—to provide higher quality products and patterns to my community. What used to be a method of mindfulness practice to help reduce my stress has grown into a full-fledged small business, and I am so proud of that. Thank you for following me on this journey, and I look forward to connecting with each and everyone one of you.
STRINGS & THINGS 