Today we’d like to introduce you to Trisha Emery.
Trisha, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My very first-time crocheting was actually when I was in middle school. I really wanted to learn, so my dad got me a few skeins of yarn, hooks, and a “how to crochet” book. I wasn’t very successful and only learned how to make a chain. Only having a book to learn from was really difficult as I could not understand what it was trying to say and had no way of finding a different way to learn. So, I packed my hooks and skeins away in a shoebox and stuffed them in my closet. I would find them every once in a while and think, “I should start again,” but eventually ended up donating them when I moved out. Fast forward a few years, and I desperately wanted to be creative. So, I tried many different mediums: watercolor, hand lettering, acrylic painting, pour painting, but nothing ever stuck. While scrolling on social media, I kept seeing ads for a kit that teaches you how to crochet. I really wanted to try it, but I was skeptical because none of my other artistic attempts stuck, so I was worried this would be another box sitting in my craft room. Eventually, I decided to buy the Woobles kit of the narwhal. Immediately, I fell in love with crocheting again! After crocheting the narwhal I took what I learned and rearranged the parts to make a little monster. With that, I was hooked! Pinterest and YouTube became my best friends. I was (and still am) constantly looking up patterns to find new things to make. After crocheting for just a few months and building up stock, I decided to give markets a try. For my first one, I shared a booth with a friend and ended up having a blast meeting new people who loved my work. Now, I am doing a few markets a month! I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. I have put a lot of hard work in getting my work to a place where I feel confident and proud to sell.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
With starting something new, there will always be struggles. One thing I struggled with, and still do today, is not feeling like I’m good enough or that I’m not doing as much as others are. I am working on remembering that I am enough, and I can’t compare myself to anyone else. Social media definitely plays a huge part in the imposter syndrome I feel. People online tend to share only the highlights and so it seems that everything is perfect, and they have everything figured out when that’s actually not true. We are all just figuring it out; no one has the right answers, and that’s okay!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a crocheter. My most popular items are my amigurumi or stuffed animals. I love seeing how happy people get when they fall in love with one of the pieces I made! Even if they don’t buy anything, just hearing how much they love what I made or even complimenting me on the quality of my work makes me feel so proud!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My life partner, Alex, deserves a huge shoutout! They have been so supportive since I started and have encouraged me and pushed me to be better! They have helped me at every single one of my markets and I don’t know how I would do it without them!
Contact Info:
- Website: crocheggy.etsy.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/crocheggy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/M1D2vGcn3AcC7Tig/?mibextid=qi2Omg
Image Credits
Ashley B. Nealleffler
