Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Krista Jenkins. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Krista, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
I began crocheting about ten years ago to support my mental health. I’ve always been very driven by productivity and achievement. After graduating college, my evenings were no longer consumed by homework or sports. Instead of feeling liberated by the new free-time, I felt lost. I didn’t know who I was if I wasn’t producing or achieving. I’d come home from a full day of work, and my body needed rest but my anxiety prevented me from taking it. I started crocheting so I could do something with my hands and feel “productive” while resting in the evenings. I fell deeply in love with crochet, and a decade later it still remains my primary self-care activity. There’s something called “bilateral coordination”- when an activity uses both sides of the body, and it helps regulate the brain. Crochet calms my body and my mind, and I recommend it to anyone who lives with anxiety or has trouble resting.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I just shared about my “origin” in the last post. I am a crochet designer. I transform yarn into statement fashion pieces that encourage confidence and comfort. Pieces take anywhere from 3 to 50 hours to create, depending on the complexity and size, and there is love in every stitch. I create the designs myself, and then I sell the garments as well as “patterns,” or sets of instructions that other crocheters buy so they can replicate the design themselves. I’m blessed to have my designs recreated all over the world, with over 15,000 pattern sales. The international crochet community is robust and wonderful.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding moments are when I see someone beaming with joy in a crochet garment I made, or that they made based on my patterns. It’s a gift to be part of someone feeling beautiful and confident. Brides share photos of their wedding day, wearing a dress they made using my patterns. It’s incredible to play a small role in the most special moments of people’s lives. I also work hard to make my designs and patterns size inclusive, because I hear often that people who are plus-size have a hard time finding crochet clothes they find flattering. My goal in designing each piece is that it can make people of all shapes and sizes feel lovely.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
My main recommendation for creatives building their social media presence is to collaborate with others as much as possible. I work frequently with local models, photographers, videographers, hair and makeup artists, jewelry designers, etc. on photoshoots. We create a concept or theme, and then we all work together to bring it to life using our specialized skills and passions. Then, everyone promotes the final content from the shoot, and everyone benefits! Authentic relationships and collaborations, in my experience, are the best way to build content and create organic engagement.
My other piece of advice, no matter how hard it is to hear, is that people want to see YOU, the creator, and not just your work. My first posts on instagram were me modeling tops I crocheted, but just my torso with no visible head. Then I started working with other models, but still refused to get fully in front of the camera. Engagement really increased when I started being present on my feed. I’m still too afraid to have my voice in videos, but I’ll get there someday!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.spiritandthreadcrochet.com
- Instagram: @spiritandthreadcrochet
- Facebook: @spiritandthreadcrochet
Image Credits
@baileyfillmorephotos @roblawimagemaker @taliconic @impassionedart