Sunday, March 9, 2014

1,000 Facebook Fans Giveaway!

Looping with Love's 1,000 Fans Giveaway!

I'm so THRILLED that my facebook fan page has reached and exceeded a milestone already ~ having over 1,000 fans!  I would have never thought that when I picked up crochet again (my Grammie taught me a few stitches many moons ago) that it would have blossomed from small gifts to family and friends, and into a business that can be viewed globally.  So I think that deserves to be my FIRST BLOG :-)





Believe it or not, but this was the FIRST thing that I made after self teaching myself crochet. I wanted to make something handmade for my 2nd niece. Naturally, making a hat instantly came to mind.



As you can tell from the photo, my sizing was a tad off. But at that point in time, I had no idea what gauge was, or even how to find what my gauge was!  I was just so tickled pink that I was able to make a beautiful hat, with an attached star flower, for my niece.





Being a SAHM (stay at home mom) to a then 3 year old, and also being an Army wife at the time, I decided to keep on expanding my knowledge on crochet and see where it took me.  Plus it would be the one thing that would never change in the current Army life that I was living at the time.


Fast Forward to a PCS (permanent change of station) move to a state 1,800+ miles from "home", we became homeowners, added a new puppy to our already 3 human and 1 rescued pup family, and started settling into the Army way of life.  Life was new and exciting then.  Then our beautiful 3 year old, who was and still currently is enthralled in dinosaurs made a request - a request for me to make her a PINK TRICERATOPS HAT! Eek!


So I turned to my good friend Google to look up photos for inspiration.  To be frank, I had NO IDEA even if such a hat existed!  So after looking at images Google had to offer, I decided to "wing it" and embark on my First ever Animal hat sans published pattern. 
(Not until many years later, did I realize that a fellow crocheter, in a facebook group we're both members of, had already designed and published a triceratops hat very similar as the one I created. Sorry for pulling inspiration from your original work!)

So after sewing on pupils onto eyes, eyes onto a face, 3 horns onto a face, then the face onto a hat, my first animal hat was completed; and I had the happiest 3 year old in the world!



Then friends and family saw my creations and started asking, "Can you make ___?"  My answer always was, sure, I'll try.  After a few more custom orders for animal and character hats, Looping with Love was born :-)  As my skills and challenges grew harder, I added to my "completed orders" and "happy customer" albums on facebook.  After joining an Amazing crochet group (Hodge Podge Crochet), and getting the nudge and encouragement I needed, I started having my original patterns tested, and then releasing them to fellow crocheters to use.  

Here's some of my patterns available on Ravelry and Craftsy:
Available on Craftsy and Ravelry

Available for FREE on Craftsy and Ravelry

                                             

Will be available on Craftsy and Ravelry THIS WEEK! ;-)





So if you're still reading my short little back story to how my crochet business launched, sorry for the long intro to my fb link for the giveaway!  Once I started typing, the words just started flowing.

Thank you for reading my FIRST BLOG!  Be sure to check out my:
1,000 Fan Giveaway Album

Make sure to get ALL 26 entries in Here!


Hope you win an Amazing prize!  I have some Awesome vendors contributing to my giveaway :-)

Want to leave me a comment, but don't have a G+, LiveJournal, WordPress, AIM, or OpenID account(s)?? Then just click on the Name/URL or Anonymous options in the dropdown under the comment box ;-)







21 comments:

  1. I hope everyone enjoys the giveaway as much as I do!

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  2. Thank you for hosting such a wonderful giveaway :)

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  3. So many beautiful things in the giveaway. My favourite to win would be the scentsy bar from Melissa Hermosillo :) good luck to all who enter x

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  4. I would love to win a scentsy bar. They smell so amazing! Thank you for such a great giveaway!

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  5. Congrats on your HUGE milestone and successful business! I have only been crocheting a few months, but I absolutely love it! I hope to be where you are soon, but I know it will take a while! Amazing Patterns! Amazing Giveaway! Thank you!

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  6. Hope I win one of these Amazing prizes!

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  7. Super cute stuff! I love your Jack Skellington hat, and the adult bobble beanie that you made as well! =)

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  8. I did not know you had a blog! Congrats.I am a sucker for crocheted patterns but think something delicious smelling from Scentsy would be nice.

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  9. Aww...what beautiful children! I would absolutely be blessed to win any of the prizes :)

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  10. I would be happy winning ANY prize! They are all awesome

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  11. That just goes to show you that you are capable of anything as long as you set your mind to it and don't give up.. awesome Job keep up the good work

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  12. I love the triceratops hat

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  13. I would love to win the scentsy prize I love the smell of candles, and lavendar or vanilla would be super awesome

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  14. I love testing your patterns, talking about this that and the other regarding crochet! Loving this awesome giveaway!

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  15. The triceratops is uber adorbs for my Ana!!

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  16. Would be awesome to win any of the items. Thanks to all the vendors for their support of you & your business!!!!

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  17. Thank you for the chance to enter such an awesome giveaway! I would be happy to win any of the prizes :)

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Looping with Love