The Firefly Hook: Where it all began and where we are going. Part II

I’ve been giving you the history of the Firefly Hook and filling you in on a few key players. Quote from part I: I almost crocheted my hands off, got a little burned out, and then was inspired to switch gears…

Dream big or go home, right? Yeah, that’s me.  Since every item I crochet is a design that comes out of my own hair-brained head, I wanted to start writing patterns.

I knew I needed Monika: besides being one of my dearest friends and the person I laugh the most with, she is an incredible photographer (please check out her work!) and is brilliant at branding. She also knows how to use a computer. I know that sounds silly, but computers make me cry.

She and I started dreaming about publishing a crochet pattern book. The more we dreamed, the more we realized we needed to dream smaller or go home– ha! And, when I say “we” I really mean Monika (whom I often refer to as my “tether”). So we took a deep breath and a few steps back and then started listing individual patterns on Etsy.

The process of taking a picture in my head and turning it into a crocheted project involves lots of analyzing and reassessing, and the act of writing down each hook and crook so someone else can replicate that process involves a few more important people.

Pattern testing is a must – how else do you know if what you wrote down makes any sense to someone else? My best tester lives in SD and I’ve never even met her in person! We connected on Etsy a few years ago, and she has been helping me ever since. She works up the pattern, gives me excellent feedback, and sends a picture of her work. She owns a shop in Alta, Iowa called Garden Babies where she and a friend sell handmade products.

We started this blog with the purpose of creating a one-stop-shop for crocheters. Not that the internet needs another crochet/craft/creative blog (because there are so many amazing ones out there) but we want ours to be a little different. We are obviously still in the works (our Tubular crochet series is finished!) – but we want this to be more than a blog. It’s part blog, part resource, part pattern shop. We hope you feel connected to a larger community of crocheters, designers, and the creative world when you visit The Firefly Hook. I wish you all lived nearby so we could head to The Dancing Sheep Yarn & Fiber, grab a cup of tea and crochet for awhile.

Whether you need to be inspired, challenged, or taught the basics, we  want everything to be very accessible and easy to find. We have fewer “guess what I made today” posts that end up in archives and more “here’s the proper crochet technique for _____” which end up in our main menu. The Firefly Hook blog was an incredible addition to our journey because it involves my two loves: crochet and writing.

Writers need an editor and I have the best. I’m not exaggerating when I say she’s going to be famous someday. She is an amazing writer and somehow an even better editor/wordsmith. She is my Abigail, one of my dearest friends, and my strongest encourager (especially when it comes to wrangling children, writing, and pushing me in the right direction). And yes, it’s funny to write such braggy words about her knowing she has to edit this sentence!

Neither Abigail or Monika crochet, but somehow this is the most perfect collaboration I’ve ever been a part of. The three of us grew up in MN, now we live in three separate states, and it works beautifully. What would we do without Skype, Dropbox, email and 2 Day Priority Shipping?!

And I feel the need to be clear. Any photo on this blog that appears so-so (or downright awful) – is all me (Abbey). Any photo that looks incredible, artistic, and as though a professional took it – that’s all Monika. Just givin’ praise where it’s due people. (And I don’t want you to ever confuse my pictures with hers!)

Stay tuned for Part III…

Until next time,

Abbey

P.s. Here’s Part I if you missed it.