Amanda Grebloski

Hooksett, NH

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My name is Amanda, 27, quirky, frog-lover, knit-lover, crochet-lover, born and raised in New Hampshire.

When I was 10, my great-grandmother taught me how to knit. I learned to crochet from my aunt when I was 11. I hated knitting at the time, so I picked up crochet and have been crocheting everything under the sun ever since. My most outrageous/ laughable/ questionable item was a crocheted bikini. Lined, of course.

For my college admissions essay, I wrote about my "scrubbie" business. I learned from a friend's grandmother how to crochet dish scrubbers with nylon netting. She made ~800 each year and sold them all at a craft fair for $1 each to pay for an annual vacation for her and her husband. I wanted to give up when I tried crocheting with the nylon netting since it was so difficult to work with, but I forced myself to finish one and attempt another, then another, etc. Over time I became faster and more consistent, and I sold them primarily to my family and sometimes at craft fairs. The essay talked about this journey and ended with the line, "I am proud to call myself a hooker." My shop name, Hooker's Crochet Corner, stems from this.

When I graduated from college I re-taught myself to knit, and I'd consider myself an "advanced" knitter after only a year and a half of pressing through ever-challenging patterns. I found that the best way for me to learn was to try new patterns that looked difficult and/ or complicated. It forced me to face knitting head-on and simply *try*. Taking the first step is the hardest part on a new journey.