Hooked and Loopy is a show-stopping market favorite! Sarah’s tent is always filled with the cutest knitted and crocheted creatures. Read with us as she talks about her knitting addiction and inspiration for her work.
1. Who are you, where are you from and what do you sell? How are you known at the market?
Hi! My name is Sarah Potter and my shop is called Hooked and Loopy. I’ve been living in DC now for about nine years. Hooked and Loopy offers knit and crochet items – amigurumi animals, hats for kids and adults, doll clothes, and more. At the holidays we also have a variety of hand crafted ornaments – Ugandan gourds, Peruvian ceramics, and wooden ornaments from the Erzgebirge region of Germany.
2. How did you get started in your business and what is your future vision?
Our tag line is “Addictive Knit and Crochet” and that’s basically how it started. I had been making animals out of gloves, and started crocheting little scarves for them. Then I ran out of gloves and switched to crocheting the animals – lions, hippos, and pigs. A year later, I find myself crocheting for at least four hours a day, everything from bees to walruses to octopi to dogs. My family has always been crafty – my mom is a gifted quilter and knitter, and my grandmother was big into sewing, knitting, and crocheting. I hope that I can keep this shop going well into the future – maybe with a brick and mortar shop, maybe with a vibrant online business, who knows?
3. Tell us why you do what you do. What is so special about your business? Why crocheted animals?
There are two reasons that I do what I do – one, for my family, and the other, for my community.
I have an eight year old daughter and one of the things I constantly fight against is generic plastic toys creeping into our house. I want her to have toys she can cherish – for her to know that toys took some time to make and that each one is unique and special. My daughter plays a big part in the animals that I crochet – she suggests the type of animal and helps with the naming too. She knows that it can take up to three hours to make a single animal, and that most have 1000 stitches or more. Hooked and Loopy also features my mom’s amazing knit hats and scarves, so we have three generations working together, which is great fun.
Also, I donate a portion of my profits to an awesome organization called SAFE (Survivors and Advocates for Empowerment,
www.dcsafe.org) that provides shelter and other emergency services to survivors of domestic violence and their families.
4. What is your favorite thing about FSM?
I like a lot about Fenton Street Market – the market staff and volunteers, the hip, friendly, fun fellow vendors, the location, and the supportive local folks who visit us every Saturday. It’s hard to pick a favorite!
See Sarah at Fenton Street Market this Saturday! Or visit her
Etsy shop and
website for more! The chicks of Hooked and Loopy are also on
Twitter!
Vendor profile written by Amina Ahmad of
Handmade Habitat. Visit the
blog for more on art and craft in the DC area!
