• Tell me a bit about yourself
My name is Celeste and I hand knit luxury, designer fashion scarves! I live in the Golden Circle near the Grand Canyon, so my tagline is, “Handcrafted in the Heart of Canyon Country, USA!” Because I live in the high desert (it’s either very hot or very cold), my designs are for year-round wear.

• What is the name of your Shop?
My nickname is Crickets, so my shop is Crickets Creations Hand knit Scarves. Sometimes I shorten it to Crickets Hand knits because I’m corny and like rhymes!

• Please describe your creative process
My muse, inspiration & support is my sweetie, Nicky. I made my very first scarf for him (see that first scarf, modelled by Nicky. He loved it so much that he said, “You could sell these and people would love ‘em!” And since August 2007 I’ve sold almost 300 scarves, so I guess he was right.

I love to play with texture and color, and typically make 2-3 scarves a night, whether for custom orders, special requests from the over 10 retailers I supply, scarves to sell online (I offer about 75 different styles, colors & thicknesses), or getting ready for craft fairs & expos. If you’re a professional crafter, too, please let me know if I can offer support or advice on how to succeed.

• Where do your ideas come from?
I love scarves that are reminiscent of everything that either gives us life or brings joy to our lives. I have nature themed scarves (Sea Colors or Embers & Ashes, for example), food themed scarves (Chocolate Mint and Oat Bran Muffin are two current favorites) and fun-themed scarves (Carnival or Gothic Disco). My favorite inspirations are animals (Macaw, Octopus, Animal Print, etc), I love to name my scarves after animals.

• How did you get into your craft?
I took an elective class when I was eight years old. From there, I studied knitting books and tried out patterns. Now I design all my own work and can get really creative!

• Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I have been practicing Bikram yoga for over a decade. I love the heat, the routine, and how demanding the poses are when tried correctly. I also love putzing around in our yard and pretending I’m gardening. I just love being outside, really.

• How do you promote your work?
My main site is my Etsy Shop, my Blog, Flickr and Indieapublic.

The best way that I’ve been able to sell almost 300 scarves in just seven months is to have fun, create a quality product, and appreciate the many people who choose multiple scarves for themselves or for gifts. It’s been a blast and I appreciate the opportunity! I offer a special price of only $30 per scarf to those who contact me before checking out, because I so enjoy the chance to interact with my customers and get to know them as people or even friends.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!