Today we’d like to introduce you to April Kehrer.
April, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi! I’m April, born and raised in Northern Michigan! I have always had a desire to create something. Anything. I just never knew what my passion was until I had my daughter. I was determined to crochet her a baby blanket. The only problem was I didn’t know how to crochet! That’s where middle-of-the-night feedings met crochet YouTube videos. I would watch videos in the middle of the night, then try to recreate what I learned in the morning. Determination and dedication paid off! I made my daughter the most crooked blanket you could ever imagine. But I did it! Needless to say. I was “hooked”! My next goal was to make her a baby hat. Once I made a few bigger than her head, it all started to make sense and I truly fell in love with crochet and more specifically, hats.
My daughter is 9 years old now and it’s safe to say I’ve made several 1000s of hats since those midnight feedings and YouTube videos. I sell locally at craft shows and farmers markets, wholesale and commission for local businesses, and on Etsy. Not only did I master hats, I jumped into pattern writing and earned several Best Seller badges in my Etsy Shop. I’ve come so far and I can’t wait to see where I’ll end up!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road was most definitely bumpy at first but have years of practice things have fallen into place.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Aside from crochet, I am passionate about education and early childhood. I am a Ferris State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. While my children were young, I owned my own home daycare for 10 years. Now that they are both in school, so am I! I work for a local school district in a preschool room! My days are spent with kids; my afternoons are spent crocheting!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
It sounds cheesy but honestly, never give up. I can’t even tell you how many mistakes I’ve made. But seriously, you learn from those mistakes and keep going. I also set small goals to accomplish. It helps keep me motivated! And one more thing that inspires me are Facebook groups with like-minded people. I’m in crochet groups where I can ask for help, feel inspired, help others, and share my work! Seriously, there is a group for everything. Find your people and be inspired.
Pricing:
- Hats patterns on Etsy, $3.00
- Hats $20-$25
- Scarves $30
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kehrerberrycrafts
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kehrerberrycrafts
- Other: www.kehrerberrycrafts.etsy.com
