My 2025 Small Business Journey
Photo by Liam John
Being a small-business owner and my own boss, it’s easy to get caught up in always focusing on what’s next, always working to create and grow the next thing. However, as crochet likes to remind me, it really is so important to slow down. So, as I sit here, eager to see what 2026 will bring, let’s take a moment to reflect back on 2025 and celebrate all the wins, big and small, that got me here today.
JANUARY
LOOSENDS finds a new home!
Starting off with a BANG, I bit the bullet and signed a lease for a studio in Montréal with absolutely no idea of what was to come. Little did I know that in just a couple short months, what once felt like an overwhelming amount of empty space, would be filled to the brim with shelves of yarn, countless shipping boxes, and hundreds of visitors & shoppers.
It’s hard to believe I was all alone back then. Just me, an empty studio, and tons of potential.
FEBRUARY
My small business was featured in ELLE Canada (!!!)
See, if I didn’t take this time to reflect on the year I’ve had, I almost would have forgotten about this bucket list moment. The article featured Canadian content creators sharing their favourite small brands, and what an honour it was to get a shout out from the Lauren Sundstrom, alongside KOTN and Nena Hansen, brands that I look up to every single day.
Running this business has taught me that you always need to be your biggest cheerleader. To see the potential before everyone else does, so this moment was a big one, knowing that some of my biggest inspirations were right there cheering me on as well.
MARCH
Laptop SLEEVE pattern release!
With the success of the DUSK Bag and TRIANGLE Tote patterns, I knew I wanted to keep the momentum going and release another pattern. Something I love about this brand is not only being able to create for you, but the platform it gives me to expose new people to crochet, and provide the tools and resources for anyone to learn to do it themselves. The Laptop SLEEVE is equal parts practical as it is fun. I love making these by hand and I love to see others do the same.
If you’re a complete beginner, this pattern is a great one to start with. Check it out here.
APRIL
Launched my first collection: SS25
Photographing my dance friends for this project was a dream and came together so effortlessly. Some of you may not know this, but prior to starting LOOSENDS, I was actually pursuing a professional dance career! Any fellow dancers out there?
My momentum for creating was at an all-time high, so I wanted to experiment with a new design.
Enter the BOW bag…
With spring right around the corner, I wanted to wrap playfulness and minimalism all together in a bow…literally. Echoing the shape of a basket, it felt like the perfect spring accessory.
MAY
Turned my studio into a market:
The Saturday Marché!
Photo by Liam John
I have always dreamt of LOOSENDS being more than just a brand, but a space that is rooted in community. The Saturday Marché was a major milestone for me. After uprooting my life from Vancouver to Montreal a year and a half ago, it has been so incredible to establish and grow a community here.
I am so inspired by the creators who have collaborated with me for our markets. There is truly nothing that compares to gathering together and getting to showcase and highlight artistry with other creators who share these values of community and sustainability.
JUNE
Launched LOOSENDS Yarn:
My Sustainable Yarn Business
Photo by Liam John
It’s crazy to think that it’s only been 7 months since LOOSENDS Yarn began back in June. Probably because it’s existed in my head for so much longer.
I’ve been posting consistently online for about 2.5 years now, and as my videos started gaining traction, I realized that a lot of fellow crocheters were facing the same problems: t-shirt yarn was impossible to find.
It was crazy to me how this amazingly sustainable yarn wasn’t more accessible, especially here in Canada. Well, that’s how this all started. I placed my first order for 1000 skeins of yarn back in January (hence the moving into a new studio), and what felt like an insane amount of yarn for one small business at the time was not nearly enough to meet the demand.
With my first official launch happening at the beginning of June, I sold out…in less than 48 hours (Watch the vlog here!) which meant that we were on to something special, and LE Yarn would have a bright future ahead.
JULY
Expanding Into Montréal
July was an exciting month, as we introduced our first two stockists here in Montreal: Odeyalo Clothing and Jennifer Glasgow Design. I feel so fortunate to have my handmade bags featured in over 10 stores across North America, with more to come!
Want to shop LE in person? Here’s where to find us!
AUGUST
Burnout struck…
To my surprise, working non stop 7 days a week can only last so long. Who would’ve thought!?
I think what contributed to my burnout most was handling all the logistics for LOOSENDS Yarn all at once. Shipping, packaging, finding new suppliers, website design, marketing-it was just too much for one person.
I took this exhaustion as a clear sign to take a step back from work (ok, maybe half a step). I visited Vancouver for the first time since moving away, and took the time I needed to recharge.
And I’m so glad I did, because I was able to bounce back just in time for my second Saturday Marche, this time featuring Esser Studio, Dova Pryce, Loop Studio, Andrea G Hand + Made, Second Base Vintage, Victor Chose, and of course, LOOSENDS.
Curious how it went? Watch the vlog here!
SEPTEMBER
Spent my life savings on yarn… again.
The change in season brought the most amount of yarn imaginable into my life. I ordered double the first launch, and what used to feel like a big empty studio quickly filled up with nearly 8000 skeins of reclaimed t-shirt yarn.
This was a massive turning point in the business that made me start to realize that maybe I could use some help… Grateful to my parents and friends who helped me set up shelves, create hallways of yarn in the studio, and start implementing processes of categorizing and labeling everything.
OCTOBER
LE Yarn restock & first YARN Soirée in-studio
After much anticipation, both from me and my community, the LE Yarn restock went live this month, with over 350 colours of yarn, plus our brand new line of metallic yarn. Behind the scenes I was sorting, labeling, shooting e-com, re-designing the website, ordering hundreds of shipping boxes, and so. much. More.
It was all worth it though, because the reception of the restock blew my expectations and surpassed all previous sales records. Thankfully with community around me, I wasn’t alone in the studio shipping orders until midnight every night like the last time. With this extra support, we were able to host our first YARN soiree, where people could shop LE yarn in person before the restock launched online!
NOVEMBER
The team grows!
With the success of both LOOSENDS and LE Yarn, it was time to hire some consistent help. I was able to hire two studio & marketing assistants, Naomi & Frances, who took lead on packing orders and relaunching our blog! Soon after, I hired my first crocheter, Ilana, who would help make stock and fulfill wholesale orders.
As we all continue to find our footing, and figure out how to keep the brand growing, it’s been so interesting to reflect on this time. I always just assumed that once I hired people, the weight of my workload would instantly lift off my shoulders, but that couldn’t be less true. Now I need to learn how to manage a team, to record processes, to delegate, all while staying on top of the tasks I already had before. It’s so rewarding to see these things that used to only live in my head, start to define themselves and become the systems we all use every day to run LOOSENDS.
From left to right Ilana, Naomi, Frances.
DECEMBER
Busiest month yet…
Now here we are at the end of such a big year, but for us, it felt like just the beginning. This month we launched two exciting collections: For LOOSENDS, The Metallic Edit, a collection of handmade statement bags, perfect for your holiday parties. For LOOSENDS Yarn, my dream of crochet kits finally became a reality.
As we continue growing, it’s important to me that each launch feels both personal and refined, so I felt it was only right that we organize our biggest photoshoot yet. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves:
Photos by Florine Pellachin.
December also saw our first ever Holiday Marche, featuring over 15 amazing local brands across 2 studios here in our building. This market felt extra special, as it felt like we accomplished exactly what we wanted to: foster community. For my full reflection on the market, check out our previous blog post here.
In conclusion, 2025 has been the best year for my small business by far, and I can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store for us.
Thank you to everyone who supports LOOSENDS in any capacity; a follow, a like, a comment, a visit to one of our events, whatever it may be, know that it’s all thanks to you that we get to continue doing what we love.
