I have been crocheting, knitting, cross stitching, and sewing for the majority of my life. My grandma taught me how to crochet and cross stitch when I was 6, and I learned how to knit and sew through private lessons and classes at local craft stores and colleges. Beyond the basics, I taught myself a lot of what I know. When I was a preteen to young teenager, I would always save up the money I made by babysitting to be able to buy yarn and make small things with my friends. I wasn't able to craft much during high school, but during college I got much more serious about it. I was working an office job full-time and also getting my bachelors degree in physics at that point, so I didn't have much free time at all, but any free time I did have was spent crocheting. I've always found crocheting and knitting very relaxing, so it was a great way for me to unwind. After graduating college, I started accumulating tons of crochet and knit pieces that I didn't know what to do with, so after a few years I decided to take the plunge and start my own business to share my love of fiber arts with everyone. That's how Ollie's Crochet Boutique came to be. I continue to crochet and knit every day, and I love having the opportunity to share my love of fiber arts through handmade goods.
My shop is named after my orange cat, Ollie! I named it after him because every time I play a video game that has a cat in it, they always look like my other cat, Trixie, so they get named after her. So now it's Ollie's turn to have something named after him!