One Year Ago Today, I Quit My Day Job

Jul 21

I can’t believe I’ve been doing just yarn for a whole year! While I am indescribably honored to be able to do this, I wanted to write a very honest review of how it’s been for me over the last year, as many of you have shared interest on what it’s been like. Well, here it is! 🤓

There’s something to be said about having built-in structure with a job that isn’t your own business. Working in specialty coffee for so long, things became second nature for me. I could make a cappuccino in my sleep! But after a while, the monotony got old. From waking up super early, needing to rely on tips, and having your kindness being taken advantage of by strangers. To put it plainly, over time it became quite soul-sucking. I’m sure this is a scenario is relatable to some of you.

A year ago, I had quite a few straws that broke the camel’s back for me at my coffee job, which is why I decided to take a chance on myself and commit all my time and energy into dyeing yarn full time! To be honest too, I had not a lot of money saved, no distant relatives willing to invest 10k into my start-up, and not a huge plan, just a feverish passion to focus on Savannah Rose Handmade, and ride the wave of momentum I was feeling as my business was starting to grow.

And to put it plainly, this last year was the hardest I’ve ever worked in my entire life! 😜 Hardest, and most rewarding.

Highs:

Dyeing fresh and fun colorways inspired by my favorite horror movies - or components of horror movies - and seeing your reactions and enthusiasm for them. I find it so rewarding to find the beauty of these scary flicks, and trying to translate that allure into yarn, into something related to relaxing and rewarding pastimes such as knitting and crocheting…it’s hard to put into words! The feeling of sharing your creations with other creators to create more creative things is magical! It’s unmeasurably heartwarming to bond through film and yarn. 💓
Loving every minute of the process…even if it all add ups to be a lot sometimes. I feel like I learn new lessons every single day.
Whether it’s learning the shipping turnaround time it takes for a bare yarn order to arrive to me, learning how different dyes work on different yarn weights, actually doing inventory so I don’t shoot myself in the foot and realize I’m completely out of a certain dye that I need…each day I feel that I am getting closer and closer to dialing-in my process so that I can produce collections more efficiently and of course always intentionally. While it may all be a bit overwhelming at times, I do love this part of working for myself, as it reminds me of the discipline it takes to run your own business.
Sometimes I’ll write myself little sticky notes that say things like, “you got this girl!” and leave them in random places for myself to find. It’s really adorable and rewarding and a great, helpful reminder that it’ll be okay. 💝
Catching up on my sleep 😉 - I have woken up super early for barista shifts wayyyy too many times over the last years so it’s really nice to be able to have some control over my sleep schedule!

Lows:

Just as being a barista is a lot of upper body movement, so is hand-dyeing yarn. At my first coffee shop job, I was taught that when learning a new skill, it’s important to be mindful of the muscles you use and how you use them. Whether it was holding a milk pitcher while pouring latte art or tamping the coffee in the right direction, using the right muscles mattered/matters*, as our brains engrain these movements in our mind over time.
~ As with yarn dyeing, I’ve tried to do that: to learn the ways in which I can do this very physical job in ways that won’t injury me over time. While I feel I have a good groove going and I’m always improving my process, the fact is that it’s very tiresome work.
~ Apart from my shoulders being sore after a long day, I have my been noticing my hair is silvering too. 😧🧐 I’m 32 years old and while it is (or it was, I’m not too up to date on what the most current trend is) cute and trendy to have silver hair, let’s be real…it’s kind of freaky! It’s not that silver/gray hair isn’t great, but it’s such an indicator of age and stress. I’m not sure if I’m able to fully go silver foxy yet! 🐺
~ Needless to say, these little physical changes in my life have impacted me, and made me more aware of my process: like stress management, being real about the work load I can take on in a day, and just not sweating the small stuff, something my dad preached to my sister and I a lot growing up.
Finding that work/life balance financially has been really hard to navigate. I don’t really feel like I had the greatest influence on how to manage money growing up. Just “make sure to pay off your credit cards!” which is easier said than done, especially for my generation, and especially when I need to buy supplies and inventory to fulfill orders.
~Plainly, it’s really hard to start a business without a good financial kick start. Over time though, the ebb and flow of everything becomes easier to navigate and understand. It’s all a process though, and I’m always doing my best to do my best, but learn how I can keep going and growing over time. 🌱
Another thing that is hard, but I strive to do right, is ride that line between being positive and transparent with my friends and followers. I don’t believe in sharing too much negativity, but sometimes times are really tough! I know everyone can relate to that. It’s hard to keep a brave face on throughout it all, but even during the hard times, I try to be open about where I’m at, instead of gloating - because I have definitely felt a bit pushed away from other accounts I follow who are being too pessimistic. I really don’t like that feeling, so being honest is something I try to be present and conscious about.

Biggest Changes/Differences:
My boyfriend Colin has been taking on more roles here at Savannah Rose Handmade. We’re so happy to have him aboard. 😆❤️

Really though! This yarn shop has improved tremendously with his help.

From helping with
~ gently cleaning and rinsing the yarn (especially the plant yarn - that process takes MANY washes and rinses and is so tiring; he is really helpful with that),
~ to organizing orders placed using excel (remember learning how to use that in school? I don’t! haha),
~ to drafting out dye schedules for me to do in a day - always keeping in mind which orders have been placed first,
~ to observing what pain points I am experiencing, and suggesting improvements:
~~ like noticing that I could use more sticky notes to organize the orders,
~~ or recommending that I order more dye pans so I don’t feel limited to the couple that I have,
~~ or helping me find ways to prevent my body from being sore after a day’s work,
~~ and even editing photos/helping create those yarn/movie collages that I have become kind of known for…Colin has really become an asset here and I’m beyond grateful to have his help.

In this moment: I’m just trying to keep it real! Real and honest and as unfiltered as possible - aside from the occasional Instagram filter. :P I love when I get messages from you all telling me about how you saw a horror movie because of a collection I had, or because of posts I was sharing about it. What a cute lil dream come true to be a small batch yarn dyer/micro horror film influencer! Haha. There is a lot of beauty and intrigue in horror movies and it’s really fulfilling for me to see you all enjoy the obscure and kooky colorways I come up with. I’m just really happy to be making such sweet friends and “meeting” (even if it’s just online) talented makers along the way. Thank you for being here and for reading my lil take on this last year. Love and hugs and cheers to slow fashion!