Ready to crochet your first plushie but not sure where to start? In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, host Marcy shares everything beginners need to know about amigurumi. From choosing the best yarn for plushies—like Bernat Blanket Yarn, Premier Parfait Chunky, and Loops & Threads Cozy Cub—to picking the right hook size, stuffing tips, and securing eyes safely, you’ll discover how to make your first stuffed animal with confidence.

Whether you’ve been saving adorable amigurumi patterns on Pinterest or dreaming of crocheting your own plushies for gifts, craft fairs, or cozy home décor, this episode is packed with beginner-friendly crochet tips. Learn how to avoid common mistakes, pick easy starter patterns, and enjoy quick, fun projects that give you instant gratification.

If you’ve ever wondered how to crochet a stuffed animal, what yarn to use for amigurumi, or how to make your plushies soft, squishy, and professional-looking, this guide has you covered.

👉 Tune in now and get inspired to start your first amigurumi project today!

🧶 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – now on Amazon

🌐 Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠marcymade.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for crochet patterns

🧶 ⁠Learn to Crochet Here

In this episode, I’m sharing why I decided to bring the podcast back to its roots as Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast. For the past few months, you’ve known this show as Creative & Called, but I realized most of you came here for crochet inspiration, patterns, and that spark of yarn-filled joy.

So today, we’re making it official — Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast is back! 🧶 You’ll still hear conversations about creativity, mindset, and designing a life you love, but front and center, this show is once again about crochet: celebrating it, learning it, and connecting through it.

If you’ve been looking for crochet patterns, amigurumi tips, and encouragement to use your creative gifts in meaningful ways, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re making plushies during nap time, starting a handmade business, or simply craving a cozy hobby, this is your community.

✨ Thank you for sticking with me through the changes. It feels good to come home.

🧶 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠⁠ – now on Amazon

🌐 Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠marcymade.co⁠⁠⁠⁠ for crochet patterns

🧶 Learn to Crochet Here

In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, we’re talking about one of the most freeing truths you can embrace as a maker: you are the potter, and your life is the clay.

If you’ve ever felt stuck on a path that didn’t feel like your own—or wondered if your crochet dream or handmade business could really support you—this conversation is for you. I share how I went from hiding my dream of being a full-time crochet designer to building a handmade business I truly love, and why you have the power to shape your creative life into something meaningful and fulfilling.

We’ll cover:

• Breaking free from the “safe” path and rewriting your own blueprint

• Pursuing your crochet and creative business dreams with confidence

• Using your God-given gifts to create freedom, joy, and purpose

This episode is especially for crochet lovers, creative entrepreneurs, handmade artists, and faith-driven women who want to build a life of freedom without waiting for permission.

🔆⁠⁠⁠Enroll in My Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠

📺⁠⁠My YouTube Channel⁠⁠

🔆⁠Simply Hooked on Facebook⁠

🔆⁠Simply Hooked on Instagram⁠

🧶⁠⁠Simply Hooked Crochet Patterns⁠⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

Is selling on Amazon Handmade really worth it for crochet artists and handmade business owners? In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I share my honest journey of what it’s really like to sell crochet products on Amazon.

From the early “wild west” days of mug cozies dominating the search results to navigating Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA), Brand Registry, and holiday inventory deadlines, I’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at the ups, downs, and lessons learned.

You’ll hear:
● How I made $4,000 in one December selling handmade mug cozies and crochet-themed mugs
● What helped me revive my Amazon sales after years of silence
● Why I call Amazon my “Q4 sales machine” for handmade products
● The real pros, cons, and honest truth about selling crochet on Amazon Handmade

Whether you’re a crochet maker exploring new ways to sell, a handmade business owner trying to boost Q4 sales, or just curious about the realities of Amazon Handmade, this episode is packed with encouragement and actionable tips.

RESOURCES & LINKS

🔆⁠⁠⁠More About My Learn to Crochet Course⁠⁠⁠

📺⁠⁠My YouTube Channel⁠⁠

🔆⁠Simply Hooked on Facebook⁠

🔆⁠Simply Hooked on Instagram⁠

🧶⁠⁠Simply Hooked Crochet Patterns⁠⁠

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

What happens when you feed your story into an AI tool and let it tell it back to you? In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I share my experiment with Google Notebook LM—an AI platform that can take your notes and transform them into a full podcast episode with AI-generated hosts.

I gave it my journey as a crochet artist and handmade business owner… and the results blew me away. You’ll hear what the AI created, plus my honest reflections on what this means for crochet makers, creative entrepreneurs, and anyone curious about the future of content creation.

We’ll explore:
● How AI like Google Notebook LM could change storytelling for creators
● What this experiment taught me about sharing my journey as a crochet entrepreneur
● The opportunities and challenges AI brings to handmade businesses and podcasts

Whether you’re a crochet lover, a creative business owner, or just fascinated by how AI can support makers, this episode offers fresh insight and inspiration.

🧶 ⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠ – now on Amazon

🌐 Visit ⁠⁠marcymade.co⁠⁠ for crochet patterns

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

Are you stuck hoping your handmade business will grow instead of deciding it will? In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I share the mindset shift that completely transformed my journey from overwhelmed mompreneur to confident crochet designer and creative entrepreneur.

We’ll talk about the crucial difference between passive hope and powerful decision—and why your handmade business, crochet side hustle, or creative dream can’t thrive on hope alone. True growth begins the moment you decide.

Inside this episode:
● How I shifted from “I hope this works” to “I’ve decided this will work” in my crochet business
● Why mindset is just as important as crochet skills for makers and entrepreneurs
● Practical encouragement for creative women ready to build income and freedom through their gifts

This is your reminder: you don’t have to wait for permission, luck, or chance. You get to decide to build the life, business, and creative freedom you were made for.

🧶 ⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠ – now on Amazon

🌐 Visit ⁠⁠⁠marcymade.co⁠⁠⁠ for crochet patterns

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

Ever wish you had a marketing coach, copywriter, and business strategist in your pocket 24/7? You do—it’s called ChatGPT. In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I share 9 real ways I use ChatGPT to grow my crochet business—and how you can use it to level up your handmade or digital product business, too.

From writing SEO-optimized Etsy listings and high-converting email funnels to brainstorming Pinterest pins, podcast content, and even mapping out six-figure growth strategies, I walk you through the exact prompts and workflows I use to save time and scale smarter.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
● How to use ChatGPT to write Etsy listings that actually rank in search
● Ways to create engaging emails, blog posts, and product descriptions with AI support
● How ChatGPT can spark new ideas for patterns, social media, and Pinterest marketing
● The role of AI in building a sustainable handmade or crochet business

If you’re a crochet pattern designer, creative entrepreneur, or handmade business owner who wants to work smarter (not harder), this episode will open your eyes to what’s possible when you combine your God-given creativity with the right tools.

🧶 ⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠ – now on Amazon

🌐 Visit ⁠⁠⁠marcymade.co⁠⁠⁠ for crochet patterns

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

still feels “off”? In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, I dive into one of the most transformational books I’ve ever read as a crochet designer and creative entrepreneur: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks.

This book reshaped the way I view my time, talent, and business growth. If you’ve ever found yourself burning out doing work you’re good at (but not passionate about) or hitting a ceiling in your success, you may be stuck in what Hendricks calls the Zone of Excellence—when you’re really meant to create from your Zone of Genius.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
● The 4 key concepts from The Big Leap, including the “Upper Limit Problem”
● How hidden beliefs may be quietly sabotaging your handmade or crochet business growth
● The 4 Zones of Functioning: Incompetence, Competence, Excellence, and Genius—and how to identify where you’re currently working from
● Practical encouragement to step boldly into your unique gifts and God-given creativity

Whether you’re building a crochet side hustle, growing a handmade business, or simply longing for more freedom and fulfillment, this episode will help you move beyond limits and step fully into your Zone of Genius.

📚 Mentioned in this episode: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
🧶 ⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠ – now on Amazon

🌐 Visit ⁠⁠⁠marcymade.co⁠⁠⁠ for crochet patterns

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

This episode isn’t polished—it’s personal. I’m just days away from welcoming our second baby, and I’m sitting with so many questions about motherhood, creativity, and identity—and how to carry it all with grace.

From the transition of loving two children to the invisible pressure of postpartum body image… from guilt over time and attention to wondering when it’s okay to return to my crochet business… this is a raw, honest reflection on the beauty and tension of what’s to come.

This isn’t an episode full of answers—it’s full of vulnerable questions I hope you’ll respond to. Because we weren’t meant to do this alone.

Inside this episode:
● The emotional transition from one child to two
● How moms balance creativity, business, and family
● Honest reflections on postpartum body image and identity
● Encouragement for moms building a crochet or handmade business while raising little ones

Whether you’re deep in motherhood, preparing for a new season, or simply wondering how to keep showing up for your dreams with kids underfoot, this conversation is a reminder: you’re not alone, and you were made for this.

🧶 ⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠ – now on Amazon

🌐 Visit ⁠⁠⁠marcymade.co⁠⁠⁠ for crochet patterns

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.

In this episode of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast, we meet Melinda—a woman who walked away from housekeeping after chemical exposure caused debilitating migraines… and walked straight into her God-given calling.

What began as a health crisis became the catalyst for a complete life pivot. Melinda didn’t just start over—she built multiple businesses rooted in creativity, service, and purpose.

Her story is raw, real, and a beautiful reminder that sometimes the hardest detours lead us exactly where we’re meant to be.

Inside this episode:
● How Melinda turned a painful health challenge into a creative business journey
● The courage it takes to leave behind “safe” jobs for meaningful work
● Why faith, service, and creativity go hand-in-hand for handmade entrepreneurs
● Inspiration for anyone considering a career pivot or longing to use their gifts with purpose

If you’ve ever wondered whether your creativity could become your livelihood, or if you’re in the middle of your own transition, Melinda’s story will inspire you to step forward with courage.

VISIT MELINDA's BUSINESSES

Shiplap & Sage

The Stables Marketplace

Sacred Honor

🧶 ⁠⁠⁠Hooked on Growth⁠⁠⁠ – now on Amazon

🌐 Visit ⁠⁠⁠marcymade.co⁠⁠⁠ for crochet patterns

🔹 This episode was originally recorded during the Creative & Called season and is now part of Simply Hooked: A Crochet Podcast—your go-to show for crochet inspiration, creative business tips, and mindset shifts to help you craft a life you love.