From Idea to Workshop in One Month ♡

The Facebook Post

On May 6th, I made a Facebook post. On June 6th, I was standing in front of 11 people teaching my first crochet workshop.

When you write it like that, it sounds a little crazy.

The idea actually came off the back of a crochet morning I hosted for the ladies at my church.

We spent time crocheting together, chatting, learning, and simply enjoying the craft.

Everyone seemed to have such a lovely time, and several people mentioned they would love to do it again.

I remember driving home thinking about how much I had enjoyed it too. I enjoyed teaching. I enjoyed sharing something I was passionate about. I enjoyed watching people realise they were capable of doing something they didn't think they could do.

And somewhere amongst those thoughts, a little question popped into my head. "I wonder if other people would be interested in this?"

So on May 6th, I made a Facebook post in one of the local community groups.

To be honest, I didn't overthink it, I thought I had nothing to lose. If nobody was interested, then that was fine. Life would continue exactly as it had before. If one or two people happened to follow my Instagram page because they liked my crochet work, then that was already a small win.

Instead, the post received over 50 likes and some comments from people who were genuinely interested. Suddenly, this wasn't just an idea anymore.

The Venue That Found Me

One of the most unexpected parts of the journey was finding a venue.

Someone commented on my Facebook post suggesting I should host the workshop at Boardom and tagged their page. At the time, I had never even heard of Boardom.

After looking them up, I discovered it was a local board game café in the centre of Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

They hosted all sorts of community events, from painting workshops to board game nights, Pokémon leagues, and even puppy play days where people could come and spend time with a litter of puppies.

Honestly, that last one alone nearly convinced me.

Shortly afterwards, Nina from Boardom replied to the comment and mentioned she had been hoping to host more arts and crafts groups at the venue. She suggested I get in touch, so I did.

Looking back, it still feels like one of those moments where a door quietly opens in front of you.

Nina was incredibly kind and offered an affordable arrangement that made the workshop possible.

A few days later, my husband came with me to look around the venue. Officially, he was there to support me. Unofficially, I think he wanted to make sure I wasn't planning to teach crochet in some dark, abandoned corner of a building somewhere.

Instead, Nina showed us around a beautiful, welcoming space filled with board games. My husband loves board games. By the end of the tour, he was already saying he wanted to come back and play. That felt like a pretty good sign.

Five Bookings in One Day 

Then bookings opened. Five people booked on the first day.

I remember constantly refreshing my emails to see if bookings were coming through. Every time a new email appeared, it felt slightly surreal.

I wasn't panicking. I wasn't even nervous. I'm the kind of person who doesn't really get stressed. I get practical.

So while other people might have been celebrating, I opened Canva and started designing invoices, because suddenly I had people to invoice. Then I created a spreadsheet to track everyone's details. Then I started planning the workshop properly. 

Because if people had trusted me enough to hand over their money, I needed to make sure I delivered.

The Booklet That Refused to Stay Small

One of the biggest projects behind the scenes was creating what eventually became the Little Crochet Basics booklet.

The funny thing is that it was never supposed to be a booklet. Originally, it was just going to be a short handout with a few pages and some QR codes linking to resources on my website.

Simple.

Then the proofreaders got involved.

"Maybe explain the difference between rows and rounds","You should probably explain how stitch markers work", "A complete beginner won't understand that terminology".

And they were all right. 

The problem was that every helpful suggestion added another page.

Then I realised I didn't want people spending the entire workshop looking at their phones, so I started adding stitch guides directly into the booklet. Before I knew it, my little handout had somehow transformed into a 37-page beginner crochet booklet complete with stitch tutorials, explanations, and QR-linked videos.

It's funny looking back now because the booklet became almost as big a project as the workshop itself!

The Night Before

The night before the workshop, I was still printing, laminating signs, organising materials, and finalising schedules.

My husband had just finished a 12-hour shift as a paramedic and very kindly agreed to let me practise teaching on him.

Unfortunately, we also have a teething 9 month old baby.

By the time the baby was finally asleep, it was already late in the evening. My poor husband was sitting at the kitchen table trying his absolute best to learn how to make a chain stitch while visibly falling asleep.

Eventually I took pity on him and sent him to bed while I carried on laminating signs.

Shoutout to supportive partners.

The Morning of the Workshop

The next morning arrived very fast. My plan was simple:

Arrive early. Set everything up. Arrange the tables exactly how I wanted. Prepare the refreshments. Put out the welcome signs. Then casually greet attendees as they arrive.

Instead, the first attendee arrived almost immediately after I did. As I was taking my coat off, she was already sitting down.

Suddenly I became very aware that instead of welcoming people, I was rushing around setting up supplies and trying to get organised.

Thankfully everyone was incredibly understanding.

In fact, one of the lovely things about the workshop was how kind everyone was.

Some attendees already knew one another because they were local, and the atmosphere quickly felt warm and relaxed.

Most of the ladies were older than me, but at no point did I feel undermined because of my age. Everyone was respectful, eager to learn, and genuinely encouraging towards one another.

The Biggest Lesson I Learned

Teaching beginners taught me something important: crochet isn't always the difficult part; sometimes confidence is.

Many attendees became frustrated when they couldn't immediately see where to place the next stitch or when something didn't look quite right.

I found myself reminding people:

"Thirty minutes ago you didn't know how to hold a crochet hook, hold yarn, make a chain, or create a single crochet."

We are often so focused on what we haven't mastered yet that we forget how much progress we've already made.

By helping people focus on how far they'd come rather than how far they still had to go, the atmosphere remained positive and encouraging throughout the morning.

The Queue I Didn't Expect

Then came one of the biggest surprises of the day.

At the end of the workshop, I mentioned that I had some beginner tool kits and copies of the Little Crochet Basics booklet available.

I genuinely thought maybe one or two people might be interested. Instead, people started forming a queue.

I sold 9 out of 11 tool kits and 4 out of 8 booklets.

But more importantly, what those sales represented was incredibly encouraging.

People wanted to continue crocheting when they got home.

The workshop hadn't been something they endured. It was something they wanted more of.

The Hug

Then came the moment that stayed with me the most.

One of the ladies gave me a big hug before leaving. It seems like such a small thing to write about. But it meant a lot.

That hug felt like confirmation that people had felt welcomed, cared for, and comfortable.

When I got home, my husband was standing at the door holding our baby.

"Well done, Mamma. You did it."

He had spent the morning looking after our little one so I could host this wonderful workshop. He listened to all the stories while getting his work lunchbox ready before heading off to get some much-needed sleep before his night shift. Afterwards, the baby went down for a nap. And so did I.

Looking Back

When I told my husband about the sales, the queue, and the attendance numbers, none of those things were his favourite part. His favourite part was the hug.

And honestly, I think he was right.

The goal was never really to teach people how to crochet an octopus. The goal was to build community, share a craft I love, and hopefully show people kindness along the way.

Looking back now, I think that's what I'm most proud of.

Not that 11 people attended. Not that I sold tool kits. Not even that I managed to turn a Facebook post into a workshop in just one month. I'm proud that people left feeling encouraged.

If you're sitting on an idea and wondering whether to try it, my advice is simple:

Put the feelers out there. You genuinely have nothing to lose. At the end of the day, a "no" you already have. Anything that comes after that is progress ♡.

Here’s a review that made every late night, every booklet edit, every printer battle, every laminated sign, and every hour of preparation feel completely worth it.

"I attended Maya's first crochet workshop yesterday. She was a very good teacher and so patient with everyone. It was very relaxed and enjoyable. Everything was included and it was very well organised. I left feeling confident I could actually crochet with practice. Highly recommend."

Octopuses Finished at Home ♡

I had every intention of taking photos throughout the workshop, but in the middle of all the excitement I completely forgot!

The only photos I have are from three attendees who later sent me pictures of the octopuses they finished at home.

Honestly, I think that says something quite special about the workshop. People didn't just learn a few stitches and leave; they went home, carried on practising, and finished their projects!