If you’ve ever sat in your craft room wondering, “Am I building this the right way?" Running a crochet business is full of learning curves, trial and error, and growth you don’t always recognize in the moment. I’ve been crocheting for over 13 years, but I didn’t get serious about building a business until a few years ago. Since then, I’ve learned something new almost every single day.
And honestly? There are so many things I wish I had known at the very beginning, things that would have saved me years of confusion, burnout, and wasted money.
So if my crochet business disappeared tomorrow, no patterns, no website, no email list, no social following, this is exactly how I would rebuild it. Not the flashy stuff. The foundational stuff.
1. Decide What You Are Selling and Go All In
For many years, I sold finished crochet items. At first, it worked. I enjoyed making the products, attending markets, and connecting with customers face to face. But over time, markets became harder to attend. Life got fuller. My time became more limited. Eventually, I had to be honest with myself. Finished crochet items are not scalable long term.
There are only so many hours in a day. When your income depends entirely on your hands producing every item, there is a ceiling on how far your business can grow. I talk much more about this turning point in the podcast because it was not just a business decision. It was an emotional one too.
When I finally committed to building a digital product, specifically beginner-friendly crochet patterns, everything changed. I did not just add patterns as a side option. I made them the focus of my business. Instead of trying to do five things at once, I chose one lane and worked on becoming truly excellent at it.
One of the biggest mistakes I see crocheters make is trying to do everything at the same time. Your business exists to solve a specific problem for a specific group of people. When you get clear on that, your brand becomes easier to communicate and your customers know exactly what to come to you for.
2. Use Pattern Testers From Day One
Skipping pattern testers early on cost me far more than I realized at the time. Every new review used to make my stomach drop because I was afraid someone would find a mistake. Many times, they did. That meant fixing patterns that were already released and trying to rebuild confidence with customers.
Now, testers are completely non-negotiable in my business. They protect your reputation, your confidence, and your customers’ experience. In the podcast episode, I share more details about how pattern testing changed not only my products but also my peace of mind as a business owner.
Pattern testing improves the quality of your work, protects your confidence, strengthens your brand, and helps prevent emotional burnout. If I had to rebuild, I would gladly delay launches in order to protect excellence.
3. Never Run Ads Before Your Website Is Fully Optimized
This is one of the lessons that cost me the most money. I look back at my website from even a year ago and cannot believe I was paying to send traffic there. My images were not strong enough. My titles were unclear. My descriptions were not benefit-driven. My checkout process was not fully optimized.
Ads do not fix weak foundations, they only magnify them.
Running ads to an unoptimized website is like pouring water into a cracked bucket. You can spend hundreds of dollars and still feel like nothing is working. In the podcast, I talk about how humbling it was to realize that ads were not the problem. My foundation was.
Before running ads, your website should feel polished, trustworthy, and easy to use. When your foundation is solid, ads amplify success. When it is not, they amplify frustration.
4. Create a Pinterest Account as Early as Possible
Pinterest is now my number one source of organic traffic, but that did not happen quickly. It happened slowly and quietly over time. Pinterest is not instant gratification. It is a long-term strategy that rewards consistency and patience.
If I were starting over today, I would start Pinterest immediately and trust it to grow in the background while I worked on everything else. In the podcast, I talk about how long it took before I saw real results and why I am so grateful that I did not quit early.
5. Learn SEO and Website Backend Basics
Learning SEO completely changed how I build my business. For a long time, the backend of my website felt overwhelming and intimidating. I kept putting it off because it seemed too technical. Once I finally started learning it, everything shifted.
If I were rebuilding, I would immediately learn about meta titles, meta descriptions, H1 and H2 headers, photo filenames and alt text, how Google indexes pages, and how to use Google Search Console and Analytics. This knowledge compounds over time. The more you understand it, the more control you gain over your traffic.
In the podcast, I share how intimidating this felt in the beginning and how empowering it became once I started to understand it.
6. Start a Blog Immediately
If I had to rebuild, I would start blogging right away even if it felt messy and imperfect at first. Blogging builds organic traffic that continues working for you long after you publish it. When you create blog content around high-traffic keywords, your website becomes discoverable without paying for every click.
I would write crochet tutorials, beginner tips, gift guides, Etsy selling tips, and crochet education content. Blogging positions you as a trusted resource, not just a seller. In the podcast, I talk about how blogging quietly became one of the most powerful long-term tools in my business.
7. Obsess Over Providing Real Value
Sales are never the true goal. Service is. Every time I create a product, I ask myself if it truly helps someone. I ask whether it makes crochet easier and whether it increases confidence.
When your business becomes about serving people first, everything shifts. Sales become a natural result of real value. I talk more about this in the podcast because this mindset changed how I create, market, and even price my work.
8. Build an Email List From Day One
You do not own your social media following. You do own your email list. If I had to rebuild, I would start collecting emails from the very first day even if it was only one person at a time.
Lists grow slowly at first, but they grow powerfully over time. I would not use email only to sell. I would share behind the scenes, teach, ask questions, and build real relationships. When people feel connected to you, they stay longer and buy with more confidence.
9. Separate Business and Personal Finances Immediately
Mixing personal and business finances creates confusion and unnecessary stress. For a long time, I ran my business tools through my personal accounts. All it took was one expensive personal month to completely throw everything off.
If I were starting over, I would open a business checking account and a business credit card immediately. I would only spend what the business itself could support. This creates discipline, clarity, and real financial data you can trust.
10. Make Physical Wellness Non-Negotiable
Some of my best business ideas come when I am moving my body. For a long time, I believed that every hour not spent working was wasted. I could not have been more wrong. You need to step away from the business sometimes to help generate new ideas and think through processes.
Movement improves mental clarity, creativity, energy, and decision-making. In the podcast, I share how prioritizing physical wellness changed both my confidence and my business in ways I never expected. I credit Dan Martell and Jim Rohn for this tip. Your personal development truly directly impacts your business. I like to turn on business podcasts or inspirational playlists and let my mind takeoff!
11. Understand and Respect Business Seasons
Slow seasons are not failures. They are preparation seasons. Summer, for example, tends to be slower for me. Instead of panicking, I now use that time to design new products, test ideas, build inventory, and plan for the busy season ahead.
In the podcast, I share specific examples of how understanding seasonal sales patterns changed my strategy and reduced my stress dramatically.
12. Protect the Joy of Crochet at All Costs
Joy is not optional. It is the fuel. If crochet becomes nothing but pressure, deadlines, and production, creativity starts to fade. Protecting your joy as a maker is essential for long-term sustainability. A joyful creator builds a joyful business.
13. Anchor Everything to the Belief That “What You Water Grows”
Dreams do not grow from wishing. They grow from daily effort, daily learning, and daily consistency. The moment I planted this dream, something real took root. Every day I continue to water it with action and intention.
In the podcast, I share how this belief has carried me through slow seasons, doubt, and uncertainty. When you nourish your business consistently, the harvest becomes a matter of when, not if.
Final Thoughts: Build With Clarity, Not Chaos
If you are building a crochet business through Etsy, Shopify, digital patterns, handmade items, or passive income, you do not have to guess your way forward. These 13 foundational steps are not flashy, but they work.
If you commit to building with patience, clarity, and consistency, your crochet business can grow into something sustainable, profitable, and deeply fulfilling.
About the Author
Marcy Gardner is the crochet designer behind Simply Hooked, where she creates beginner-friendly amigurumi patterns that help makers of all skill levels create adorable, giftable plushies.With over 13 years of crochet experience, Marcy has taught hundreds of crocheters through her patterns, kits, and online courses.
