How COVID-19 is Affecting My Crochet Business

Quarantines, toilet paper shortage, mass hysteria; these are a few of the things currently affecting the globe and causing a disturbance to our lives. Some of us are out of work. We’ve all had events, appointments, and plans cancelled. Some of us are having issues finding the basic necessities we need for our families. But fear not, fellow crocheter; we will get through this.

Just like with “regular jobs”, my crochet business is suffering as a result of this virus. You might be thinking, “but don’t you get to just sit at home all day making cute things?”. Sort of yes, sort of no.

How COVID-19 is Affecting Productivity

Right now, thank God, my family and I are healthy. However because I’m pregnant, I have to take special precautions to not leave the house unnecessarily. That means no more fighting the grocery stores, and even worse, the craft stores.

I do have a little bit of work coming in with custom orders. I am SO grateful for that! I am coming across the issue of finding the yarn that I need to finish certain projects, however. Other makers are building up their stockpiles of yarn, leaving little for the rest of us to choose from. That means having to resort to online shopping and shipping delays.

Another way that COVID-19 could affect my productivity is if, God forbid, someone in my family actually contracted the virus. If that were to happen, I would have to halt productivity completely so as not to infect the person receiving my items.

Cancelled Events

Luckily for me, I only had one craft show planned in the near future (the end of April). This show was cancelled and does not plan to re-schedule. This is unfortunate, because I’m usually able to make a good couple hundred dollars at these shows, helping my family out with bills and expenses. I will be getting a refund, and plan to save that to use for a different show in the future.

Even though I only had one event cancelled, I still worry about future events. Do I keep applying for craft shows? How far into the future should I look? Will I be able to keep track of all of those shows and whether or not they get cancelled, or if I get my refund checks? There is a lot to worry about!

Blogging

Being as more and more people are staying home, I’m hopeful that I will see an increase in my blog traffic. Right now my “real job” is allowing me to work from home, not leaving me all too much time to write new posts and promote on social media. I would love to really take advantage of this opportunity to reach more readers, so hopefully I can find the time to get my name out there a little more.

Pattern Reviews

I’m behind on a couple pattern reviews, mostly because of things mentioned before; I can’t find the yarn I need, and I don’t have much time after working from home (and the kids are home, too!). So if you’re reading this and expecting one of your patterns to be reviewed by me, please don’t think I forgot about you! I’m struggling with all that is going on in the world right now, like many others.

Taking advantage of the CORONAVIRUS

Much like others, I’m sure, I’ve been tagged in different crochet projects related to the virus. I haven’t made any of them yet because I’m just not sure that anyone would actually purchase them. But what if they do? I could be missing out on a whole new market of buyers!

There is a lot to consider with all that is going on in the world right now. What I do know, however, is that I’m going to take things as they come, enjoy my time with my kids, and try to make a little money on the side.

What are you doing during these times? Let me know in the comments section!