We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephanie Utka. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephanie below.

Stephanie, appreciate you 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.

My mom and nanna both taught me how to crochet. It was only basic stitches, going back and forth in rows to make scarves. They always turned out lopsided until I learned proper techniques when starting new rows.

Later in life coworkers who also crocheted showed me new stitches. From there, I started following patterns to make different designs in blankets, hats, and now, my favorite thing to make, toys.

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?

This is more of a hobby that makes me extra money. I would love for it to be a full time job, but I unfortunately haven’t gotten there yet. I mostly follow patterns by other designers but I have made my own designs as well that are very popular.

I now mostly make stuffed animals. I have a lot of little things I make such as chubby chickens (a huge favorite at markets), F-bombs always get a laugh, and frogs. I also make dinosaurs, teddy bears, bunnies, and unicorns.

At the moment I do not use any online sites for selling. I may soon and when I do will make an announcement on my instagram.

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

I love the things I make. I love seeing the excited reactions from people when they see my products. A friend recently bought something from me and when he came to pick it up, he brought the person it was for. Seeing her reaction just put the biggest smile on my face and made me realize how happy a simple thing like a bunny can make someone.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Being a fiber artist can be difficult. I buy my own materials and make every stitch by hand. There is a great deal of time and money that go into it. I wish I could match prices with corporate businesses but it’s just not possible when a toy 6 inches tall can potentially take up to 2 hours to make. We’re looked at differently because we’re a person with a couple of tables at a vendor event instead of artists in a studio.

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