From Hobby to Hustle: The reality of being a Crochet Artist at big events!!

 Hello, I'm jade - and this is the Bright Stitch!

I never expected that choosing yarn over law would lead me here - running a colourful little yarn shop, painting safety eyes, crocheting dragons, and packing up my entire life to head to huge events like the UK Games Expo. But it has, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

My name is Jade. I'm 37, I have ADHD, I swear a lot, and I wear too many dresses.  Crochet saved me when I was spiraling with my mental health.  What began as a hobby became a lifeline, then a passion, and now it's my full time job. 

This blog is a space where I'll be honest about what it's really like building a crochet business from the ground up - the mess, the magic and everything in between. 

To start I want to take you behind the scenes of what it actually takes to be a crochet artist at a big event like the UK Games Expo.  Spoiler alert: It's not all cute plushies and smiles. 

The Prep: Months of Making

If you're imaging me crocheting a few bits a week before and calling it done, I hate to break it to you - prep for a big event starts months in advance. 

It starts with a bit of research.  What sold well last time, what's happened since the last event, new releases, up and coming trends, and then the lists start.  What I want to make and how many.  Reviewing the diary and setting making goals each day to achieve my making goals.  The diary wrestling trying to fit these goals amongst all the other reminders - posting on social media, keeping house and home, product ideas to bring to life and the rest. I will start this almost immediately after the last event, reviewing, adding and changing as I go. 

The truth is prep starts months (and I mean months) before an event.  It is literally hundreds of hours.  I batch make my plushies until my fingers cramp or I fall asleep with my crochet hook in hand.  I hand-paint safety eyes until 1am, I sort labels, packaging, displays and stall layouts to the last detail. 

Its not glamorous.  Its repetitive, exhausting, and deeply physical.  But there's a fire in me when I see a new character come to life in yarn - it keeps me going. 

The Sacrifice: What You Don't See

Events like UKGE aren't just a weekend away - they are a commitment of time, money and energy that most people don't see. 

I miss birthdays.  I work 12+ hour days for weeks.  I don't get paid during prep months. I put a strain on my body and my relationships. And financially, the upfront cost of attending is huge: stall fees, travel, accommodation, materials, food... all before you've sold a single thing. 

Its hard.  Its lonely sometimes.  You question yourself.  You worry it won't be worth it.  And when you see other businesses, copying you, or doing better, the comparison can crush you - even when you know your work has value.  

My biggest bug bear at events are the the flippant "I could do this" or "You should do this".  Like its easy.  Honestly I die inside a little when I hear it.  

The reward:  Why I keep Going

And yet... the joy of seeing someone fall in love with a plushie you made?  Hearing a child (its mostly adults) giggle and gasp when they spot a dragon or a pigeon on your stall? Having someone say "your work makes me happy".  That makes it worth every aching joint and sleepless night (mostly). 

These events allow me to connect - to customers, to other artists and traders, to the joy of bring something bigger than my little shop walls. 

They are exhausting. But they remind me why I choose this path.  Not because it's easy - but because it matters. 

Don't Give up - But Don't Go In Blind

If you are a fellow maker, artist or handcrafter just starting out, or perhaps you've lost your fire, please hear this: your work matters. Your creativity matters.  The world needs more colour, more texture, more softness - and some of you bring that. 

You don't have to do it all at once.  You don't have to burn out to prove your worth  But don't give up on the dream that lights you up.  Not everyone will get it - and not everyone will support you.  In fact some people will go out of their way to destroy you - but the right people will literally be the wind beneath your creative wings.  And they'll find you, one stitch at a time. 

Love to all my brighties out there!!