Hello, I'm Jessica
I dabbled in numerous crafts and hobbies as a kid, and knitting was one of them, but I never spent enough time on it to really get good at it. At some point in high school or college, I finished a scarf that had taken my at least five years to make. Every time I picked it up, I'd have to re-learn the difference between a knit and a purl and how to make each correctly. Looking at the pattern now, I realize it was quite simple, but it included making three stitches out of one and then decreasing the three stitches together, and the techniques felt so daunting. But during the many-years-long process, it somehow dawned on me that most everything in knitting comes from just a knit stitch and a purl stitch -- and after that project was finished, I had complete confidence that I could learn how to do anything in knitting if I only put my mind to it. (It's probably a good thing I hadn't heard about brioche or considered making sweaters at that time!) It truly was pivotal in the way I perceived the craft of knitting in my own life, but it didn't cause me to pick up my needles on a more regular basis.
It wasn't until my last semester of college (spring 2018) that I started to get "serious" about knitting. The summer before I'd made friends with a lady who owned a yarn dyeing business (Rachel of Six & Seven Fiber), and it was through her that the concept of a knitting community, knitting designers, and hand dyed yarn was opened up to me. She encouraged me to pick up my needles again, and in December of 2017 I learned how to cable. I thought it was going to be extremely difficult, but much to my surprise, it wasn't difficult, and it was a lot of fun -- so that's really what hooked me on the craft!
I graduated with high honors in an engineering major, but I wasn't loving the line of work; I needed creativity. I started a job in interior design, but long story short, a few months later, I essentially found myself jobless in a tiny college town in Wyoming with minimal job opportunities, and my husband had a year left in his Master's degree. I realized this would be my best opportunity for opening an Etsy shop -- so I did it! Snickerdoodle Knits started October 1, 2018 on Etsy selling chunky hand knits. Just a couple months in, I told Rachel that I knew I wouldn't be able to do it forever -- it was hard on my hands and getting boring knitting the same patterns over and over. I saw two potential paths: yarn dyeing and pattern designing, but I didn't see much potential for me in either. One would require a bit of up-front investment and space we didn't have, and I didn't think I was artsy or creative enough for designing. Until a few months later, I had an idea for an entire design collection. My first pattern was released April 1, 2019, and the ideas have been flowing ever since.
I'm excited to be adding some additional services to Snickerdoodle Knits this year, with a knitting community that includes mini courses and guest speakers; mentoring for new designers; and a community for designers that will be coming in summer 2021.
