Pardon me for a bit of copy and paste. For those who would like a bit more detailed “About Me” section, I figured a blog post was a better place to put it.
My name is Courtney (aka Shrewsie), and I love to create! I first learned to crochet from my mother in the early 2000s. But with no inspiration and a busy college life, I didn’t really do much after I learned my first stitch. I never even finished my first project. I think it sat in a grocery bag for years before I finally gave up on it and tossed it out.
At the end of 2020, the call of the yarn was tugging at me and I had to respond. The internet was now full of how-to resources to assist. I picked up my hook and poured over YouTube videos to learn as much as I could. Within weeks I was swimming in crochet projects, and I couldn’t be happier.
At one point, my ability to create exceeded the capacity of my home storage or my own needs. After all, one only needs to own so many hats, scarves, etc. I like to think I am practical and prefer not to make things just to have them sit around. At that point, the focus of a lot of my projects turned from random winter attire to unique and sustainable items that bring joy.
When I found out I was pregnant in May of 2022, I was so thrilled. I couldn’t stop thinking of all the fun little things I could make for him. In a hilarious turn of events, touching yarn made me feel nauseous in my first trimester. So, I got started a little later than I wanted.
Unfortunately, he came into this world about six weeks early; four days before Christmas, during a snowstorm that flooded part of the hospital. He was on the dry side of the NICU, thankfully. During his short stay, he became my second source of inspiration. I sat in his NICU room for hours at a time crocheting and watching him sleep. I began designing little hats to cover his beautiful little head, until he was graduated to wearing real clothes.
“Design” was not something I thought I’d ever be able to do when it came to crochet. Something about sitting in the dim room, watching him sleep, helped me find my way. My first design (a final version of the pattern soon to be released 🤞) was made in that room; a hat that had a brim that looked like bacon. He wore it on the day we brought him home.
Later on, he needed physical therapy. The PT suggested a head stabilizer. The device to position his head to correct the flat spot was a bit pricey. I crocheted a version of the device that impressed his physical therapist.
It wasn’t pretty, but it worked!
The accomplishment I felt, knowing I designed something he needed that I conceptualized, is what drove me to establish a small business. Since then, I have designed several other crochet products to not only be adorable but helpful.
I don’t desire to become the next trendy content creator. I just want to share my ideas and maybe make a little extra money for my family.
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