When did I start?

A post on Etsy's forum today got me thinking about when, exactly, this crafting/selling business started for me. I think it was a loooooong time ago.

When I was 6, we always had colorful Red Hart yarn lying around and various beads and crafty things. I would make braided bracelets incorporating these multicolored yarns. I then sold them to my mom's orchestra friends at $1 each. Hehe. They couldn't resist.

Then I made gods-eyes (using yarn and popsicle sticks, they're so pretty!) by the HUNDREDS. I seriously had bags of those things! I sold them at a table at the music summer camp my mom runs for a week every summer.

In 7th grade, I started a friendship bracelet business. I would take custom orders and then sell them for like $5 or something. I had this little cardboard thing I made with 6 different slots for each strand of yarn and I would do it all day long. I sold several until someone else started copying me even though mine were SO better.

Then in high school I knit every single day in class (mostly to stay awake and keep my hands occupied.) I would usually just knit scarves and give them as gifts, but occasionally I'd sell a custom order or two. I did some commissions for my english teacher who quit to open up her own yarn store (The Knit Nook in Louisville).

At 16 one day during Christmas break I took a pair of needlenose pliers and set about converting my clip-on earrings to my newly pierced ears. While I converted them to my new hooks I changed them slightly, making them - in my opinion - look way cooler. Then I made some of the necklaces I had sitting around into earrings. Before I knew it I'd gone through my entire stash of jewelry and upcycled it all into earrings! I hopped on my buyer Etsy site and made a shop, and sold all of those earrings plus listing a bunch of crappy knitted items (seriously, they sucked. I've since removed all knitted items from the store, and only sell them offline. I've been knitting forever though!)

And now I'm 18 and I'm selling almost an item a day and more offline! I can't wait until I'm out of college/business school and have my own store. My parents keep saying this "hobby" is just a phase that will pass, but I've been doing it my whole life to a lesser degree. It really is my passion to make stuff and sell it!