Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Neumann.
Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A craft store in the cities was going out of business so, I stopped in to see what they had. I walked by some amazingly beautiful yarn that I fell In love with and decided I had to have it. But, what would I use it for?! I saw a crochet hook kit on clearance as well and figured I would give it a try. I went home and thought myself how to crochet and as I made new things I would post it on my Facebook and Instagram. People I knew started wanting my items and requesting me to make other things they have seen. Some items people wanted were knit so I thought myself how to knit as well and it just kept getting bigger and bigger. I decided it was time to make a business page and see where it went. It blew up! I started the official business in 2016 and it grows more every year. Once we moved to Finlayson in 2017, my best friend Cassie Tribby came on board to help with the volume of orders and we have been growing and expanding year by year. We both have families and full-time jobs that are very demanding and then we do HeartCrafted stuff after work and on our off time. Balance is hard but we truly believe you get what you put in and we will work as hard as we need to to keep the fiber arts alive and show people that quality handmade items not only be affordable but beautiful and long-lasting.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a difficult road at times but so satisfying and involved so much personal growth. One of the biggest struggles is just getting our business out there. The social media algorithms and recent need to post videos and reels instead of photos of finished products or mid-working on project photos is very difficult. We are makers, not entertainers and the line seems to be blurred now between the 2. There have been many late nights and some with no sleep to keep up with orders and deadlines while trying to carry on our regular day-to-day hustles, but we truly love it and couldn’t appreciate the orders more as this is allowing us to continue doing what we love! Coffee and laughs have pulled us through so much. We used to do quite a lot of craft shows all over the state of Minnesota, but when covid hit, that all changed. It was also difficult to get the yarn we needed for orders during covid as supply chains were having issues.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We make handmade knit and crochet items. Our most popular items are hats and truly these are our favorite things to make. We also make crochet stuffies/loveys such as dinosaurs and unicorns, cows, and chickens. Knit dishcloths and pot holders, baby sets of booties, hats, and jumpers. Why we are different, it’s in the name HeartCrafted, a handcrafted quality that comes from the heart- our pure love for our craft, attention to detail and willingness to try and make just about anything. We love bright colors and also neutrals, all sizes from newborn to adult, so there is truly something for everyone. We love seeing our items out in the “wild” and only want to continue to grow.
How do you define success?
We define success as accomplishing a set task and goal. We truly believe we are already successful, I never thought this business would take off like it did or that I would fall in love with knitting so much. We get to do what we love and make people happy as well, we would just like to be able to reach more people and get out there more.
Pricing:
- Standard Adult Hats: $20 up to $35.
- Luxury Hats made with 100% hand-dyed merino wool $45 up to $60.
- Baby & Kids hats $20 and up.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heartcraftedshop.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/heartcrafted.shop
- Facebook: Facebook.com/heartcrafted07
Image Credits
Heather Nichole Photography LLC
