About

These are unique and modern crochet hat patterns by strawberrycouture or Strawberry Couture. Instructions help you to improve your basic crochet skills. Who wants to crochet anything ordinary? You do. Advance your crochet skills!

I got into crochet as a child when I spent summers with my grandmother who exposed me to handmade crafts. Grandma was a retired teacher who spent her late years crocheting something for everyone. She crocheted afghans and I latch hooked rugs. We bought our yarn supplies. Others knew us as the “craft hookers”.

In no way did I know what career to pursue when entering college. Books came first according to grandma. She made sure of that. I had no time for a social life. Dallas and Falcon Crest were my Friday night “tv friends”.

I sewed clothes as a hobby. Little by little patterns and shapes “floated” in my head. They dominated my study time in college (1989-1991). To me, crafts were in no way a secular business.

I worked different jobs after 2 years of college. They were my stepping-stones. I served 5 years in the U.S. Army working as a cook. It taught me ways to work hard and learned ins and outs. We had to complete a production schedule after every meal. For example, we needed to know how many pounds per 100 of meat that we needed to cook for at least 500 people.

Know how many people to feed and order food rations. Follow the recipe card. Inspectors visited our mess hall. In civilian terms, a cafeteria to make sure we followed standards. Make sure the food temperature met the correct standards. Dangerous temperatures reside 40-140 degrees F. Most of all, make sure no one gets sick. Customer service is important. This lesson taught me the value of customer satisfaction. True grit works!

I served a 1-year tour in Korea as a specialist, the rank of E-4. I worked the job of a sergeant. This is equivalent to a boss in the civilian world. Bosses in general still have to answer to a higher boss. It taught me how to talk to people. I can't talk down to them any old way I want. Treat people with respect and communicate with them.

After serving in the US Army, I started two failed small businesses. The first one was a small home-based sewing business called “Custom Fitting Designs”. We lived in government living quarters. My husband still served in the army by this time. I created custom clothes for a small clientele. An officer’s wife brought me her own fabric and sewing pattern of a formal dress to wear at an Officer´s Ball with her husband. In my second business, I embroidered company logos for a lady who had her own taco restaurant. Machine embroidery is good for customers who live in your local area. A late friend of mine, Alma, taught me how to machine embroider for fun. Alma and I worked together in a fabric store. I ordered from manufacturers and cut fabric in the home decorating department. Customers needed help choosing their drapery and upholstery colors for their living rooms.

I bought a 7570 Pfaff sewing/embroidery machine, the same as Alma’s machine. Buying the identical model to her made her teaching me easier. Digitize your own designs. Alma was 57 years old when died from a massive heart attack. She suffered from Diabetes and failing health. Learn customer service and a career path will take shape. Learn from your customers. Welcome to the platform where we learned customers' likes and dislikes. Working in a fabric store had its perks and downsides. I received employee discounts on fabric. Fleece was in full demand and I stashed my share underneath the cutting table. Work quick and efficiently for customer satisfaction. The job paid a small income but I needed to make extra money. One customer I waited on sold her finished Renaissance garments on eBay.” I can do that.” Craft selling sites on the Internet charged large fees. I sewed and sold crazy quilt square throw pillows on eBay. One night in 2006 I encountered a handmade selling venue called Etsy, the handmade version of eBay. The rest is history!