Let's give a warm welcome to Lauren, owner of A Menagerie of Stitches!
Where are you located?
Chattanooga, TN
Do you have a job outside of this?
I do A Menagerie of Stitches full time and love every
minute of it!
What’s your dream vacation spot?
New Zealand or any place that has mountains all around!
What’s your favorite color(s)?
Teal and coral
What’s your favorite food/meal?
I could eat roasted veggies every day if I could! I also have
a huge sweet tooth and love dessert!
What’s your least favorite food/meal?
Fish of any kind!
Do you have a favorite movie or TV show?
Gilmore Girls and The Office
What’s a quote that you live by?
“…For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Cor. 12:10
Do you have other hobbies besides crochet?
I love knitting,
especially socks. I also love cross stitching!
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve done in your life?
My husband and I drove all
the way to Colorado and bought a school bus! We’re renovating it into a tiny house!
Do you have a favorite holiday?
Christmas
Do you have a favorite season?
Fall
What inspires or motivates you?
I love sketching out a bunch of ideas and then sitting down
with my yarn and just making. Sometimes I have too many ideas so it’s fun to just pick one and see how it turns out.
If you could do one thing for the world (people or environment), what would it be?
To make everyone feel love and welcomed.
Anything else?
I’ve been married for 8 years and we have two cattle dogs named Thunder and Storm.
All About A Menagerie of Stitches
How long have you been crocheting?
I taught myself
how to crochet back in 2009!
When did you start A Menagerie of Stitches?
I started A Menagerie of Stitches in 2015 but it
really didn’t take off until the following year.
Why did you start?
I loved making amigurumi and had always wanted to open an Etsy shop.
It wasn’t until I got the little nudge from my husband that I finally opened my shop.
What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
This is such a hard question!! Can I say everything? I have so many favorites, especially designs I’ve made for my books.
What’s a piece of advice for someone just starting out in your field?
Stay true to yourself. If you like making something and it makes you happy, keep doing it! Not everyone will like what you make but that’s okay!
Does your company have a mascot?
Yes! My little yarn ball named Stitch! I try to put him on everything lol!
What was your most memorable success?
In 2016 I created my crochet chemistry set and
after posting it on Instagram, it went viral. That’s what really made my career as a crochet designer take off!
What was your most memorable challenge?
Writing my books! It’s always so fun creating the designs and the work that goes into them is so rewarding but also challenging.
How did or are you overcoming this challenge?
You just gotta push through! Especially working on deadlines, you really can’t give up since you have multiple people counting on
you. I’m always very fortunate to have a team of people cheering me on so I never want to let them down.
What’s next for A Menagerie of Stitches?
Hopefully lots of patterns and maybe another
book or two!
Go and give Lauren some LOVE! Like, share, or check out her amazing books. I have both and they are super great! Remember, supporting Lauren is supporting a small business and a local maker’s dream.
Here are the links:
Instagram: @amenagerieofstitches
Website: www.amenagerieofstitches.com
Ravelry: Click Here
Facebook: Click Here
Lauren puts a lot of time and love into each pattern design. Check out her Instagram page for her mini series! There are 2 more weeks of adorable mini amigurumi pieces.
Comment below if you have any questions for Lauren or A Menagerie of Stitches.
And THANK YOU so much for reading and joining along on our Maker Spotlight. You can see a new maker right here EVERY Monday. I have some AMAZING makers lined up and I cannot wait to share them with you.
xoxo, Lindsey
#MakerSpotlightMonday #puglovecrochetblog #allaboutmespotlight
NR
Nice to meet you, Lauren. I am wondering if you document the transformation of that school bus on Instagram or another place online? I love your crochet designs as well of course!