Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Koons.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hello! I’m also known as Knitty Natty. I started my small business, Love in Stitches, in 2018 when I launched my first crochet pattern. From there, my world has expanded to YouTube podcasts, knitting and crochet video tutorials, blogging, and more!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The person whose path is straightest has the most boring ride. Something like that! My biggest struggle and I think that other woman will share this feeling, is FEAR. “What if no one buys my newest product?” “What if I say something and it’s taken the wrong way?” “I care so much about this. What if it doesn’t work out?” Fear feeds on fear, but fear is fought with the community. My best advice is to immerse yourself in the community that you’re entering. Surround yourself with like-minded people who are starting out, just like you. They will support you and understand your struggles. Study the habits of those who are in a place that you want to be. These mentors will help you grow. Most importantly, once you’ve started to move up, remember where you started and encourage those who are starting out.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Love in Stitches – what should we know?
Primarily, I’m a knit and crochet pattern designer. That means that I create handmade accessories from concept to finished piece, and then I publish my patterns so that others can reproduce my ideas. It’s kind of like I’m the head chef of restaurant Love in Stitches and I’m giving you my recipes! I’ve designed various items from bags to beer cozies, but I predominantly make wearable accessories. I’m known by many for my love of sock-knitting and I have several sock patterns to reflect that!
Recently, I’ve added a video tutorial component to my written patterns. The experience from my day job as an elementary school teacher really helps me break down concepts in my video tutorials. I often get comments from my viewers saying that they resonate with the way I’m explaining the knit and crochet techniques.
What makes me unique is that I design both knit and crochet designs fairly equally. This may not seem novel to the outside world, but in the land of yarn, this is pretty unusual. Knit and crochet, while indistinguishable to the untrained eye, are vastly different- requiring different tools, different skills, and even different vocabulary. There are plenty of crafters who know how to do both, but most lean heavily toward one or the other. As someone who practices both techniques equally, I’m aiming to bridge the gap between the knit and crochet worlds.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
Fortunately for me, yarn-crafts is a female-lead industry. I can’t pretend it’s not! The field still comes with barriers. Pattern design is not very lucrative (knitting patterns average $5 a pop) so most full-time designers have other roles in the industry. Many are teachers that travel around the country to share their yarn-y wisdom at local retreats and events. More are bloggers who make a steady income through advertising on their site. There are also those who sell finished products like hand-dyed yarn or hand-carved crochet hooks to sustain their livelihood. I believe that you’ll mostly find women like me in the yarn-crafts industry. Women who work a full-time job and then bust out as much work as they can in their off-hours. Moms who may or may not get to stay home with their kids that squeeze in a blog post while their little ones are sleeping. There’s a reason that the term “side hustle” has been coined- women know how to make it work. Women in the crafting industry may not get to make design their number one priority, but where there’s passion there’s a way. I feel like I’m inching my way towards becoming a “full-timer” each month. It may be another year or two, but when it happens I’m ready- because I’ve got the work ethic to make it happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: knittynatty.com
- Email: knittynatty@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knittynatty/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/c/KnittyNatty
Image Credit:
Natalie Koons
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