We recently connected with Stephanie Utka and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
It’s what keeps me sane. Crocheting and knitting are very relaxing for me. My nanna taught me when I was very young and she always loved seeing what I could make. She’s a big part of it, too.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I think I was about 5 years old when I started taking an interest in watching my nanna knit and crochet. I remember when she taught me to knit, she would cast on the stitches for me because that was a little harder to teach. I know how now, but I still remember watching her wave the needles and yarn around effortlessly.
Right now this is a side business. I am working on a website but you can follow me on Instagram where I will post updates when my website is ready, as well as information for in person events I will be attending. @knottybeehandmade
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
It takes patience, dedication, and risk. Getting out of my comfort zone of hats and scarves opened up so many more opportunities for creativity.
Don’t be hard on yourself when you start out. My scarves were horrible. I dropped and added stitches all over the place. It just takes some practice and patience and you’ll be making stuffed bears in no time.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
When I was first learning these two forms of art, I picked up crocheting much better. It’s what I stuck with for a long time. I only knew one knit stitch and making those twists looked incredibly complicated.
Last year, after losing the woman who taught me what I know, I decided I wanted to be more adventurous with knitting. I learned more stitches, even how to make those hats with twists, which is called cable knitting. It’s now my favorite thing to do. If you don’t get out of your comfort zone and try to improve yourself, you may be missing out on something great.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @knottybeehandmade
- Facebook: Knotty Bee Handmade
Image Credits
Me
