A Crocheting Wonderland
In a world whеrе tеchnology rеigns suprеmе, people get busy with business online, thеrе is still a placе for thе timеlеss art of crochеting. With thе ability to crеatе intricatе and stunning piеcеs from just a hook and yarn, crochеting has bеcomе an еnduring craft lovеd by many. Onе businеss that stands out in this crеativе rеalm is Lo Crochet, a crochеting paradisе that brings drеams to lifе, onе stitch at a timе. Lolo P Jami a self-taught crochetist who runs a small business-online clothing store via instagram with the user id @lo_crochet_. She is a graduate majoring in Economics from Unity College, Dimapur.
Here is an interesting story about how crocheting and her crochet business started:
Lolo started crocheting in the year 2021, she has also specifically mentioned that it was in the month of August. One of her elder sister also does crocheting and she had some old stock of yarn and a hook at her place. So, one day when she was hanging out at her sister’s place she randomly picked up and tried crocheting out of pure curiosity, to her surprise she could actually do it easily with no assistance from her sister. Without any second thought she decided to grab the hook and a ball of yarn without her sister’s permission and by all means took it home. With the help of some YouTube tutorials, she learnt in depth and tried crocheting several times making simple and small stuff like scrunchies, hats, coasters, doormats etc.
How her business started:
After some months of polishing, she officially started her crochet business in December 2021. At first, she had no intention of starting her business venture as she was just doing it for fun to kill time during the lockdown and basically since she was bored staying at home. She completed her first official project and uploaded in her personal Instagram account in December 2021 and to her surprise, people were amazed with her work and she received so much love and support from her near and dear ones. Shortly afterwards, some people started messaging her to make more and sell it. That brought her so much joy and happiness because crocheting was not even her hobby, she did not have any intention to set up business as she also had just started learning the basics. Further, she decided to continue crocheting and step into business because during that time she was also struggling financially. So, she thought of earning some pocket money through crocheting. Once she got positive responses, she immediately decided to create a separate business account in instagram and received around 10+ orders within a month. She mentioned, “As a child, I was always interested in crafting and DIYs but never thought of a way to earn money through crafting. Crochet and having a crochet business have completely changed my life.”
Her works include making trendy tops, cardigans, dress, flowers, hats, scrunchies, amigurumis, bags etc. Life is hectic, in her own words she said that it’s not easy being a solopreneur as she has to manage everything on her own from choosing and buying the materials to shipping parcels. She designs herself, does modelling, take photographs of the products, handle social media account, packaging and shipping the parcels. However, overall, the reward of completing a product, the positive response from clients of how happy they are with their orders is a pure joy and satisfaction for her.
Lolo’s favourite thing to do while she crochet is watching true crime documentaries, TV shows, movies and listen to music. If she finds some crocheting pieces really hard so she needs to concentrate there which means she cannot watch anything, audio podcast is an excellent alternative. She finds that listening to something while she work actually helps her concentrate more on the task at hand. One strange but interesting thing she can do whilst she work is that she walk and crochet, in her words- “I also walk and work, I don’t really walk while I crochet but I do crochet while I walk, if that make sense.” Another thing she does is eating a lot when working and in between work as well- ‘I am a combination of a foodie and workaholic.’ Apart from crocheting, she loves sewing, gardening and growing plants. She also loves cooking and trying new recipes.
The journey of Lolo’s Crochet has definitely evolved over the year. She is always trying to push herself with techniques and ideas but sometimes keeping it simple still works well. Anytime she hears someone say “I’m just not crafty”, she feels really sad because she believes that we are all creative beings made in the image of God, sometimes our creativity takes in various forms. It doesn’t have to be “crafty” to be creative. When we create, we are doing what we are meant to do, and we are who we are meant to be.
In the future, Lolo’s dream is to open a boutique, create and sell her own crochet patterns. However, for now, she wants her small business to grow to a great extend and reach out to more people. Driven by her passion and dedication, this crocheting business continues to thrive, inspiring individuals to connect with their creative side and cherish the beauty of handmade art.
Further, in regards to taking orders from customers- she accepts orders via instagram dms and she takes custom orders mostly. If you wish to know more about her works you can brow through her Instagram account- @lo_crochet_.
