Life & Work with Erika Burke

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Burke.

Hi Erika, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always been a very creative person and have collected many hobbies over the years, however, I found crochet around the age of 17. I was still in high school when I moved out of my family home to live with my friend and her family. Her mom, Kris, was always crocheting as she watched television and would make the most beautiful things. As I love making things with my hands, I had her show me how to do it. After she taught me the basics, I fell completely in love and taught myself how to do the rest. I started off making small gifts and personal items such as scarves and beanies. As my skills grew, I branched off into creating more complicated things and being able to read patterns. It was when I finally learned how to design and create my own pieces that I started gaining more recognition from others.

My now husband and I are very into seeing live music and going to music festivals. I would crochet both of us cool hoods or I would design myself a top, purse or water bottle carrier for the shows. I was completely shocked the first time someone saw my designs and demanded to have one. For a while, I would make a few pieces and walk around and gift them to people who I connected with or simply looked like they could use the warmth. Before I knew it, people would not accept them as gifts and wanted to pay for customized pieces of their own. And there, CrayCray Crochet was born. For a while, I went around to festivals, Los Angeles nightclubs and did quite a bit of work in the Underground Party scene. Now, I mostly sell through Etsy and the occasional pop-up around LA. Though, I am looking into getting back to selling more in person again.

I was given the name CrayCray Crochet through the festival scene. I had no idea what to call myself and after several people coming up, seeing my vibrant color choices, and yelling, “Girl, your stuff is cray!”, it just stuck. I’m also a sucker for alliteration and rhyming – I feel like it sticks in your head more.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think because I have always done it for the joy of it and never really put too much pressure on it, I have greatly enjoyed the ride. There were always the natural challenges of crochet, like getting mostly done with a project, seeing a mistake you made in the beginning, and having to rip away hours of work. As well as the natural challenges of running a small business: spending all night working your booth to not make a single sale, undervaluing yourself when you took on a big project, others undervaluing you… but all in all, I’ve loved every second of it. I love it for the peace it brings my mind while I’m doing it and for the smiles, it brings to the person’s face who chooses it. I always feel like, somehow, I subconsciously made it just for them. I love the conversations and connections I would make with people while they reminisced over how they would watch their grandma crochet and how they still have the blanket she made… I do it because I love to do it, others liking it and wanting to buy it has always been a bonus. I can say I’m very lucky in that respect.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When it comes to crochet, I think what sets me apart is that I weave love and joy into my pieces and just have fun with it. I will never crochet when I’m in a bad mood or aren’t really feeling it. I believe that positive energy attracts more positive energy, so my hope is that all the love I put into my work attracts more love to whoever wears it. I also have over 14 years of experience and have a lot of knowledge to bring when I design and create. I specialize in festival clothing. I can make pretty much anything, but what I love making most is unique, colorful pieces that make the wearer stand out in any crowd; Particularly hoods and tops. I also make and write my own patterns, so people who crochet themselves can make their own versions of my designs.

I am most proud of how I stuck to it all these years and have continued to grow and learn. I’m proud that I never let the challenges get me down and have been able to maintain pure joy for the act of crocheting.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I feel like what is considered risky can be relative to the individual. I’m not in the sense that I have not dropped everything to pursue a life of crochet and design, but I do think I take a lot of risks in how and what I design. I use a lot of bold, bright colors and don’t follow typical patterns or ways of doing things. I could probably reach a wider audience if I did more neutral colors or more conservative designs, but that’s just not me. I stick to my vision and I think there’s a lot of risk in that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Etsy.com/shop/CrayCrayCrochetbyEM
• Instagram: @CrayCray_Crochet
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/CrayCrayCrochetbyEM