Cheeky Chick started back in 2010, when I began making homemade laundry soap to wash cloth diapers. That quickly turned into making cold-process soap, lip balms, sprays, lotion bars, and pretty much anything else I thought I could make from scratch.

My husband and I had always dreamed of having our own homestead, so making things ourselves felt like a natural step. For several years, I sold my products at farmers markets, craft shows, and even a few local stores. But as product costs increased, it became harder to stick to my commitment to using sustainable, natural ingredients while keeping things affordable. Eventually, I took a step back from Cheeky Chick and returned to the cosmetology industry, this time as an educator.

Then came crochet.

During COVID, crochet started to take over. I found that it grounded me, gave my hands something to do, and helped calm my anxiety. Before long, yarn and projects were everywhere. And I mean everywhere.

I brought crochet to school sports, doctor’s appointments, in the car... basically anywhere I thought I might have to sit for a while. I’d find a pattern or a yarn I loved and think, I need to make that!. Sometimes I gave things away, but a lot of the time I crocheted something simply because I thought it was cute. Then, once it was finished, into a plastic tote it went, possibly never to see daylight again.

Eventually, my husband looked at my growing mountain of crochet and asked, “What the hell are you doing with all of this? You should sell it!”

But I hesitated. When your hobby becomes your job, sometimes it stops being fun, and I didn’t want that to happen.

Then I started wearing my beanies to school.

I kept getting compliments, and when I told people I had made them, the response was usually, “Make me one!” So one day, I brought in all the beanies I had made. I sold almost every single one and left with requests for custom colors.

And somehow, Cheeky Chick found its way back.

The good news? I still love crochet. I still bring it everywhere with me, and I still make things just because a yarn, color, or pattern catches my eye.

I decided to keep the Cheeky Chick name and branding because I still love it, and after all these years, it still feels like me. So while you’ll find plenty of cozy, handmade pieces here, you may also stumble across a one-of-a-kind creation simply because I saw a pattern and thought, “Well, I have to make that.”

-Janis