Meet Your Maker- The Loopy Lamb

This week on MYM we have Ashley from The Loopy Lamb. If you have not seen her amazing work yet you need to immediately. Ashley is an amazing designer and blogger whose patterns are so darn cute! She shares some great tips in this feature and I cannot wait for you to read it.

Bobblelicious Bag

Introduce yourself and your business.

My name is Ashley Parker and I’m the designer behind the blog The Loopy Lamb . On my blog I share fun beginner and intermediate level crochet patterns for free.

 How did you launch your business & what made you want to start a small business?

A few years ago when my daughter was a baby, I made her a lamb hat for the winter.    When we went out, we would be approached by strangers asking where we had gotten her hat or receive compliments on her hat.   People would ask me to make them lamb hats.  After some encouragement from friends and family, I opened an Etsy shop. Shortly after the Etsy shop opened, I started designing my own patterns.  I became really passionate about designing and enjoy it so much that I decided that I wanted to design rather than just create finished items.  In the Fall of 2018 I launched my blog.  I wanted to start a small business so I could do something I was passionate about and work for myself.

 What are some struggles you had starting your business and how did you over come them?

One of the biggest struggles I’ve had is my own personal expectations.  When you’re working hard to create content week after week and you’re not getting to the place you want to be, it can be discouraging.  But reminding myself that empires aren’t built overnight and setting realistic expectations and goals for growth has helped me to overcome that.

Mad About Boo Pillow

 Where do you draw inspiration from?

That’s a hard one.  A little bit of everywhere.  Sometimes I don’t even know where the inspiration comes from, I just get an idea and I go with it.

 What motivates you as a maker?

I am an A type personality so achieving goals is a big motivator for me.  I set monthly and yearly goals and when I’m not sure what to do next, I refer back to those goals to get back on track.

 What is a goal you set for yourself as a maker/artist and how did you achieve it?

One of my goals early on was to find a yarn company to work with in some capacity.  As a new blogger, I didn’t know what opportunities were even available but I knew other bloggers had relationships with yarn companies so I had to learn about it. Once I did some research, I took the steps to start reaching out to companies (which was a bit scary to me at first) and I started getting positive responses.  It just took putting myself out there and asking.

Hocus Poke-us Halloween Cactus

 What is your favorite part of being a maker?

One of my favourite parts of being a maker is watching something that existed only in your head come to life.  My other favourite part of being a maker is seeing my kids’ eyes light up when they see my finished project and I give it to them.  The excitement and awe in their expression just makes me so happy.

Ava Cowl

 Do you have any tips for new makers/ small business owners?

Make some maker friends that are on similar paths that you are.  When I first started blogging, I didn’t have any maker friends and sometimes it felt isolating.  I’ve since made some friends that are also designers and it has been wonderful to have someone to chat about yarn/designing with, collaborate with and to celebrate each other’s achievements.

You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing to be successful.  Everyone has their own journey and will get to where they need to be in their own time and way.   Make the decisions that feel right for you and your business.

It’s ok to say no.  Sometimes an opportunity that seems great initially make not be right for you and your business or it may stretch you too thin. Always consider the return on investment (ROI) before saying yes.  Your time is valuable and so is your health.  If you stretch yourself so thin to fulfill your commitment that you’ve made yourself ill, you may not be able to fulfill other commitments/possibly lose other opportunities or revenue.

Wanda the Whale and Ned the Narwhal

 What are some hobbies or interests you have outside of your small business?

I’m a big cook/baker.  I am a giant Harry Potter nerd and I love to read.

 Share a fun fact about yourself.

I absolutely love birds of prey and my husband often gets me opportunities to do falconry for different gift giving occasions.  I have had the opportunity to work with some really cool birds like Bald Eagles, Spectacled Owls, Eurasian Eagle Owls and Peregrine Falcons (to name a few).

Flamin-to-go Flamingo Cup Cozy