Started learning crochet at the age of 7, Amy-May is now Owner and designer at Off the Hook Mamma.
Like most of us, Amy learned this art from her Grandmother, and she tells us that it was her comfort. She tells us how excited her Grandma was when she knew Amy was learning fast, “I practiced with her but I began to slowly teach myself through the years & boy was she in shock and awe as I would make family members’ hats for Christmas.”
She explains how and why she started crocheting again, “During my pregnancy (before OtHM) I wanted to make for my (then) unborn child something but I wasn’t sure what. We had all the blankets we would ever need & all the toys too. I was also completely in the dark about the internet holding all of the secrets at the push of a button, I hadn’t even considered that other people might love my hobby as much -if not more – than me. I taught myself how to create Amigurumi over the course of that 9 months for Alycia to have a heavy door stopper & honestly, I thought I had invented the art. I’m laughing now at that concept (that I could have invented Amigurumi).”
So in the year 2015 when her daughter was born, Amy-May started Off the Hook Mamma as a well deserved creative outlet of a Stay at home mom. She explains how her love for crochet has grown in these years, “My personal relationship with crochet has grown so much because I really did just imagine it all from scratch. All I knew was how to make a granny square/hat start and work SCs into it. It took me around 20 years to start reading patterns and another year to release some of my own. I am on that steady track now with too many ideas in mind and not enough time to crochet.”
Family support is the most important when it comes to starting and running a small business successfully. Amy shares how she always got support from her family even before the business started, “My grandmother and aunty, who have both since passed away, were the only ones who truly supported my crochet, my grandma wasn’t alive to see Off the Hook Mamma (or meet my child) but I know she would be proud of me. She always was.” When it comes to our partners, it is always important that they are with us, Amy tells us her side of the story, “My partner hasn’t always been on the crochet bus. He has recently begun warming up to the idea as I transition out of selling many finished makes & more into selling my patterns and designs. One day he will be my biggest fan”
Making her first few sales in High School, she started making custom Character hats. Amy explains how challenging it was, “The challenge and fun for me were in identifying simple (or complex) shapes & practicing my art. If a finished project came out looking like the character (without using instructions) then I was one step closer to my goal of writing and publishing patterns.” Designing began in the year 2017 and Amy started hitting the stride with her original content. She adds further, ” I really aim to create functional yet aesthetically pleasing crochet patterns that can benefit all makers in the long run as far as saleability and interest are concerned.”
Do what drives you & don’t stop.
When it comes to other hobbies Amy-May feels Crochet ate up all the other hobbies she had. However, she became a Photographer and uses those skills in her current crochet business Off the Hook Mamma. She is a Crafts lover, an avid reader, and loves research work too. But these have taken a backseat inc the onset of this new business she has.
In the end, she tells all us crocheters that it is harder than it looks. Thinking about starting and managing a business is one thing and actually making it work is another. Hard work and passion really required. She plans to open up a blog for her patterns and also give advice on the maker life for all us makers. She ends it on a hopeful note, “I hope to find you there one day when I summon the courage (& time) to edit and post them.”
We simply loved her attitude towards her work and passion. We really hope to see you on the blogging front Amy-May. You are doing an awesome job for all us crochet lovers and the crochet community as a whole. Keep publishing lovely patterns.
Connect with Off the Hook Mamma
You too can follow Amy-May / Off the Hook Mamma at below places, go and show some love and buy some awesome patterns and products from her Etsy Shop 🙂
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