The Crochet Chronicles
Hooked & Happy: “Interviews with Yarn Lovers”
In continuing the series Happy & Hooked, “Interviews with Yarn Lovers” I am interviewing Marissa Knightes, co-owner of Little Luvin stitches and the wife of Nathan Knightes. Bookmark our page so you don’t miss out each week as we continue to get to know some of the crochet industry’s leaders. You can take away some great tips on the industry and tips on balancing your life with a full time career as an entrepreneur.
In this week’s article
- Introducing Marissa Knightes
- Q&A with Marissa Knightes
- Conclusion
- Some great freebies!
- What our customers are saying about us
Introducing Marissa Knightes
How does the wife of a skilled artisan in the crochet industry who spends most weekends selling his amigurumi plushies at shows and festivals spend her time? Most likely contributing to the small business she is co-owner of and traveling alongside her business partner. This week’s Happy and Hooked. “Interviews With Yarn Lovers” will answer a few questions from the perspective of a woman entrepreneur who has taken every turn and hit every bump alongside her husband and partner and now has a successful and rewarding crochet business.
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Marissa’s journey into the crochet industry began on February 14, 2009 when she started dating Nathan “The Crochet Guy”, and they were married on November 11, 2011 where she became the second half of the “Crochet Couple” She is a full time RN Team Leader for a busy trauma center and balances her career and entrepreneur life beautifully although with some challenges. I will let her tell you her story in this exclusive interview. Let’s dive right in.
Q&A with Marissa Knightes
The funny thing about me being the other half of the “crochet couple” is that I don’t even crochet. Nathan tried to teach me a couple of times but I wasn’t a very good student. As a child my Grandma taught me to knit with 2 needles but even then I only knew the basic kn. Marrit stitch. I didn’t stick with it so I believe I lost that skill. Then I taught myself how to cross-stitch which I became quite good at. I loved giving away my works of art as gifts and such. I believe it’s these skills that naturally led me to teach myself how to sew the pieces Nathan crochets into a finished work of art. We work together to make it happen.
- Do you and Nathan have assumed roles in the business and if so what is yours?
Nathan is definitely more of a business man than I know how to be. I see myself as a support for him-I want to learn more about the logistics of our business in time. We work together at our festivals and comic cons to make it happen-we both know what we are supposed to do and we are often under time constraints to make it happen. We balance each other out when the stress and frustration hit as we are not very often at that point at the same time.
If you are interested in starting your own business and just don't know where to start, Nathan is in the business of business coaching and would love to help you get your crochet journey underway. Visit us in our Stan Store and set up a consultation now! Follow this link and let Nathan help make your small business dreams a reality.
- What is your favorite part of selling at shows and festivals? And your least favorite part?
My favorite part is seeing and hearing the kids' reactions to merchandise-we often share who our favorite customer of the day is at the end of the show. It’s usually a child that can’t hide their true feelings and their lack of a filter can be very rewarding. My least favorite part is dealing with the ever changing Florida weather. You never know when rain, wind or heat is going to be a factor. The last thing we want is for our tent to blow away or our plushies to get wet. We try to take care to stay hydrated and always be prepared for the worst.
Marissa recommends Eurmax USA 10’x10’ Pop up canopy to keep you dry and safe from the elements. Being comfortable can play a big factor into your success and protecting your inventory is essential! Get it here and keep you and your inventory safe from mother nature!
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- What is the biggest challenge you face when trying to balance a full time career and a small business?
The biggest challenge for me is to find time for myself and home life. There are many house projects that have been put on the back burner because we just don’t have time. When I go to my full time job as an RN Team Lead in a busy Pre Op unit at a level 1 trauma center I get up at 3am and work until 3pm often getting home around 4 pm-that doesn’t leave a lot of time for myself after working on the business, taking care of the house, taking care of our puppies, cooking dinner and everything else I cram into that brief period of time before I have to go to bed only to start it all again the next day.
Keeping up with a busy schedule can be impossible. I have put together a great daily planner you can print and use to keep your schedule on track and lower your stress. Includes a handy to do list and daily checklist of essentials you need when navigating your busy life. It’s yours free if you sign up here or use the link below. And to get the complete Busy Girl Planner you can visit our store and get it now!
- What advice can you give the female entrepreneur who is just starting a crochet business and is about to start selling at shows and festivals?
I’d say to start out small and make your own way. Do your research on the types of shows out there. You learn a lot as you go. Meet and learn from the people around you as many of them have been doing the circuit for a while. Keep coming up with new ideas.
A good way to know what items are popular is to use a trend tracker to keep up with the latest show stopping ideas. Get the one we use by signing up here or use the link below.. You can get this handy tracker and more business solutions by visiting our store here.
It isn’t a man’s world in business anymore and many female entrepreneurs are paving the way for the future. These women inspire us and if you are an aspiring entrepreneur of a handmade business you can learn from the experience these ladies have learned through trial and error and create for yourself, a successful crochet business.
Keep crocheting and keep dreaming, but most of all, keep learning! As always love what you do and do what you love.
Visit us for a look at everything we offer in our Stan Store where you can find links to everything Little Luvin Stitches is up to!
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If you purchase things through links in this article I may receive a small commission but it will in no way cost you anything extra. It lets us keep creating content with these pro tips for getting your crochet business going and becoming a success story.
Don’t forget to send me your email so I can send you all the great freebies mentioned in this article. These printable planner inserts will help you stay organized and can be inserted right into your planner with editable canva templates so that you can easily change the print sizes and customize for your business needs.
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