Happy Friday! Can you believe this is the last Friday of November already? We only have one month left of this crazy year, and next month is the best one of the whole year!
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I’m super excited about this month’s edition of Hooked In. This month I have invited my friend Amber to share a bit about her and her business, Bliss This. Amber and I became friends through the Crochetpreneur Business Academy, and she is my CrocheTwin. We crack each other up because we always have the exact same comment (almost verbatim) in our online groups. We haven’t actually physically met, but when we finally do I know there’s going to be a BIG hug and a ton of laughing! I know you are going to adore her as much as I do, because Amber is the kind of lady you can’t help but to love. So without any more of my yammering, here she is:
Welcome to the Straight Hooked blog! I am so excited to learn more about you.
What is the name of your business, and where can we find you?
Bliss This
Blog: https://amberblissthis.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberblissthis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlissThisbyAmber
Facebook Group: Crochetmous Crew
Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/amber-bliss-calderon
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlissThis
How long have you been in business?
I’ve been designing patterns for 2 years.
What made you decide to take the leap and start hooking for money?
I had so many ideas and they would not stop coming to me. I had been creating my own designs for at least 20 years without writing them down. After a year or so of pattern testing all over Instagram and Facebook, I decided to write up a pattern and get it tested. My first pattern, the Topaz Skirt (named after my daughter) got published by Happily Hooked Magazine. This was just the encouragement I needed to continue designing.
How long have you been a crocheter?
Must I reveal the actual number of years? I suppose. 36 years, give or take.
What inspires you?
SO MANY THINGS inspire me. Fashion, nature, my kids, even my husband. I have been known to design an earring pattern or two while listening to my husband preach. SHHHHHH. Don’t tell him.
What is your biggest struggle with your crochet business?
TIME AND PROCRASTINATION are my greatest struggles. I have dubbed myself “procrastin-Amber.” I have a hard time focusing. While I may ALWAYS have 2-5 pattern ideas being worked up at a time, less than half of them actually make it to a written pattern that gets tested and published. I also have a full-time teaching job. This definitely makes it difficult to invest my time 100% in my business.
Why is crochet important to you?
Is it okay to publicly say that crochet keeps me from killing people? I feel more sane and centered when I have time for crochet, creativity, and design.
What is your signature design?
I mainly focus on earrings and skirts…but I will design whatever I’m inspired to. The Coralise or All for Magui Earring patterns are probably my most well-known patterns.
What is your favorite yarn to work with?
OOOOOH, I hate making decisions. It’s the WORST. If we’re talking earrings, I prefer working with Lizbeth Threads, available from https://hhtatting.com/. If we’re talking anything else, I am partial to the acrylic hand-dyed yarn from Yarn for the Masses (https://www.etsy.com/shop/YarnForTheMasses). It’s soft and unique and comes in a wide variety of colors. Alyssa is great to work with. I can’t leave out my friend Fatima’s shop either for my favorite hand-dyed wool blends. She even named a colorway after me! You have to check it out: https://www.etsy.com/listing/773626121/blissthis-fingering-weight.
What kind of hooks do you prefer?
Well, I ADORE Crochic Styles hooks and am an ambassador for them. They are comfortable to hold and absolutely gorgeous as well. I also like Furls hooks and have quite a few in my collection. They are affordable and great to work with for long periods of time. I like the length of them as well.
How are you changing the world with your crochet?
I’m not doing it alone, but along with my friends at The Crochetmous Crew, we are doing our best to uplift crocheters, designers, yarn dyers, product makers, etc. We provide a place to share and encourage one another have fun along the way. We have plans to do several more charity-driven crochet-alongs in the upcoming year as well.
If you could do anything without the constraints of time and money, what would it be?
I’d just play with yarn and thread all day every day. I’d probably still have to do laundry, and feed people and such, but it would be less stressful if I didn’t have the pressure of paying bills to worry about!
What is your favorite crocheting snack and beverage?
It must be COFFEE all the time. Regular coffee must be drunk black. Espresso must be drunk in latte form with lots of foam.
What are your hobbies? (Other than crocheting, of course!)
I love all kinds of crafts: beading, cross stitch, embroidery, quilting, and on and on. But these days, it mostly all revolves around crochet.
Where do you love to crochet?
It’s awful but I often crochet in my bed. Oh the HORROR of my posture. Don’t send me messages about the dangers I’m inflicting on my spine!
What do you like to watch (aka have on in the background) while you are crocheting?
I like to binge watch mystery / crime / cop shows on Netflix. During the day, I usually listen to audiobooks—mysteries are my favorite. I like Rhys Bowen, M. C. Beaton, Alexander McCall Smith, Craig Johnson and so many more!
Tell me about the exciting things you have coming up in your business:
I have a few patterns soon to be published on the Lion Brand Website. I’m excited about that! I’m working on a lot of new earring patterns and plan to start publishing more free patterns on my blog.
Amber, thank you so much for making time to share your business with my yarny friends! I absolutely adore all of your designs, and I am so glad to call you my friend!
If you want to get in touch with Amber, you can find her at all of these places on the web:
That’s all my news for November! I just celebrated 2 years since Straight Hooked was launched, and what a fun two years it has been, thanks to all of you. I love hearing from you, so make sure you sign up for the Straight Awesome newsletter, get some freebies from me, and write back! I can never have too many hooker penpals!
Oh, I almost forgot! I was featured last week as a guest designer on Underground Crafter’s blog, and I designed the Secret Santa Hat as a FREE pattern! Go check it out! (Click my picture)
Until next time,
Happy Hooking!
~Malena
