We recently connected with Giulliana Valle and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Giulliana , thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned the art of knitting from my mother. I remember the first time I held knitting needles and yarn in my hands was for a school project when I was in elementary school. It was so difficult for me, and I couldn’t see the point of it; it didn’t capture my interest. I had been assigned to make a scarf for a school project, and in those moments, my mom ended up making the scarf for me to present at school, because after several failed attempts, I became frustrated and didn’t want to continue.
Years later, when I was studying at university, I saw my mom knitting a scarf with a different kind of yarn. It wasn’t the usual dull-colored yarn I was accustomed to seeing. This yarn had fringe details, gradient colors, and a shiny texture that caught my attention and I liked it. I asked my mom what she was making, and she told me it was a scarf. I sat down to watch her work, and she asked if I wanted to learn. I initially declined.

The next day, as she continued knitting, I watched again. Seeing the scarf progress further, observing the color combinations and how they blended to form a beautiful pattern, I told her I wanted to learn. And so, she began to teach me. The following day, I went to university wearing my new scarf, and everyone liked it. They started asking where I bought it, and I told them my mom made it. They asked if my mom could make them one too, and that’s when my mom and I started our scarf business.

Winter ended that year, and the knitting needles were put away. Many years passed until the year 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking for an alternative source of income since I couldn’t return to my usual job due to the pandemic, I remembered the scarves and started making them again, exploring textures and colors, and restarted my work. I discovered that I could not only make scarves, blankets, and clothes with knitting but also learn to use crochet, another knitting method, and make stuffed toys.

Again, it felt very difficult, and this time, I didn’t learn it from my mom, although she tried to teach me. I didn’t understand, so I learned by watching YouTube videos on how to crochet for the first time. That’s how I learned this second knitting technique. The first technique was knitting with needles, and the second was crochet. At that moment, I fell in love with crocheted stuffed toys known as “amigurumis.”

As a message, I can say that if you like something but find it difficult, try it anyway and don’t give up. If you really like it, you’ll learn, enjoy it, and be able to develop it as a hobby, a business, or both. There’s nothing more satisfying than turning a hobby into a business doing something that entertains and delights you.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For those who may not have read about me before, I am the mother of two beautiful children, aged 13 and 1. Currently, I am a full-time mom and owner of my small business specializing in handmade products such as crochet and knitting. I studied Hotel Management and Tourism, followed by a specialization in marketing and sales. I worked in my field since I graduated from university. However, like everyone else in the world, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 affected me professionally. We needed to generate income at home since during this time of total isolation, I couldn’t do virtual work. At that time, I was working as an administrator at a convention center, primarily renting out rooms and spaces for seminars, conferences, and events in general. Therefore, there was no virtual work to be done, and I stopped receiving income during those times.

My husband was also at home without going to work. Although our jobs stopped paying us a salary during the weeks of isolation, the bills kept coming, and we had to keep paying them. That’s why we looked for different alternatives to generate income. My husband started selling food from home, and I helped him with that. Then, looking for other things I could do to contribute to our household income, I remembered seeing posts on social media and realizing that winter was approaching. I remembered that I could make scarves, so I started knitting again.

I bought different yarns to start knitting. I made two sample scarves with basic colors and sent them to my friends and family through social media. They started supporting me and placing orders with different colors and designs. As demand increased, I began to diversify. Those who had bought scarves from me liked them and wanted more, so I started making matching hats to complement the scarves. Then I started making cushions for the living room, projecting for Christmas, and they sold very well too. At that time, a cousin told me that crocheted toys were in fashion, especially the character of Baby Yoda. So I looked it up on the Internet, loved it, and learned to crochet. It was challenging at first, but when an idea gets into my head, I don’t stop until I achieve it. In just two days, I made the first piece, which was the leg of the doll, and then in a week, I had it finished. I posted it online, showing my first crochet product, known worldwide as an amigurumi, and received many orders for Baby Yoda for Christmas gifts. That’s when I realized that I have a gift for crocheting.

Currently, I make different products according to the season. For example, when we prepare for the winter season, I usually make scarves and hats. I emphasize that I only use wool for scarves and hats; for the rest of my products, I don’t use wool. I know many other crafters use wool for coasters, sleeve cups, and even plushies, but I prefer not to. I prefer to work my dolls with premium, high-quality cotton. For plushies, I prefer to use chenille because it’s very soft to the touch and has a beautiful finish. I also make handbags, purses, and backpacks in different colors according to the season and materials, but above all, of high quality.

As you can see, I have different products. I don’t just make plushies, wallets, or scarves. Many crafters like to specialize in just one product and excel at it, which is a good investment logistically. In my case, I like to diversify. I like to have variety because it keeps me entertained. If I only work on dolls, I get bored after a while.

I like to make custom orders because I connect with the customer and what they want to receive. I like knowing that I’ve met and exceeded their expectations when they receive my work. Like all artists, I believe one quality we have is that we put a lot of love into our work. Each piece is unique because it’s handmade. In my case, I like to be very meticulous with the work I do, and I look for hypoallergenic materials with a fine finish.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Well, first, we need society to understand the value of each handmade piece. The effort and dedication put into a handmade product can never be compared to mass-produced items made by machines. In my case, as someone who works with crochet, we strain our eyes to make each piece and strain the muscles in our hands and arms. Crocheters usually suffer from arm tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome due to the movements we have to make. The physical and sometimes mental effort, due to the stress of wanting to finish a product well, leads to wear and tear that a machine will not experience. That’s why we need people to understand the importance of a handmade product, which will have a higher value than any retail product. This also means the cost will be higher. The cost of materials for someone who buys retail cannot be compared to the significant investments made by industries to purchase large quantities of materials.
Among crocheters, we often encounter people who, when placing an order, ask, “If I provide the materials, how much will you charge?” The client feels they can save money by purchasing the materials themselves but doesn’t appreciate that it’s not the same to use wool versus premium cotton. They don’t value the effort, the time we take to make their product.

In my case, I always tell my clients, even on my website and social media, that I don’t sell yarn, cotton, or fabric. What I sell are pieces of art. Even my slogan is, “I turn yarn into works of art.”

When they have a birthday or a special occasion and want to give a gift, they can turn to local artists and buy their products. I’m sure the person receiving it will also appreciate and value it. Now, if they can’t buy a product made by us, they can support us by spreading our contacts to their friends and family to generate new potential clients. In these times of social media, following our pages, commenting on our posts, sharing them, and liking them greatly helps spread the word about our work. So, I invite them to follow my social media accounts and help me continue to grow and encourage me with their positive comments on each piece I post.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect is that I can do work doing something I’m passionate about. Creating each piece that I’m going to deliver and thinking about the meaning for the person who ordered it makes me feel very good about myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gvmknittings.myshopify.com/?_ab=0&_fd=0&_sc=1&fbclid=PAAaYTmMcLMY5G1ydPxUN6gLxjsgPwwK_2-WtoHxGgEmqXk5m151HLJaAA1s8
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gvm.knittings?igsh=MXdpeWRwaWRvYWxiOQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gvm.knittings?mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Other: E-mail: Gvmknittings@gmail.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gvm.knittings?_t=8kxdwy5CG5V&_r=1