Minimalism for Makers & Crafters | Podcast Episode #138

Episode Transcript

Brittany:
Hey there, welcome to episode 138 of the B.Hooked podcast. I’m your host, Brittany, and as always, thank you so much for joining me today. I have a really special treat lined up for you. When I first connected with today’s guest, I had no idea just how insightful our conversation would be.

I spoke with Teresa of DeBrosse, and she taught me so much about minimalism. As someone who crochets and knits constantly, I have a lot of stuff—yarn, tools, you name it. Minimalist is the last word I would use to describe myself. But Teresa? She’s a crocheter, knitter, designer, and total wonder woman—and she is a minimalist.

I learned so much from her about simplifying—not just life, but our creative projects too. As someone who always looks for the most practical path from point A to point B, I never really thought to apply that mindset to my designs. I always assumed more stitches, more color, and more complexity meant a project was somehow better. But that’s not always the case.

Today, you’ll hear us talk about this idea of simplifying in a creative context, and how it can actually help you enjoy the process more. Teresa also recently released a book called Modern Crochet: Patterns and Designs for the Minimalist Maker, and I think you’re going to love hearing about that too.

If you’re a maker with a business, I know you’ll appreciate her perspective. But even if you don’t sell your work, there’s a lot to take away—like how to minimize your yarn stash and feel lighter and more focused when you start a new project.

Real quick before we dive in: the show notes for this episode can be found at bhooked.com/138. I’ll link to Teresa’s book there, along with any other resources we mention.

All right, let’s dive in. Teresa, welcome to the B.Hooked podcast! I’m so excited to have you here.

Teresa:
Hey, Brittany. Thanks so much for having me.

Teresa:
Hey Brittany, thanks so much for having me!

Brittany:
It’s my pleasure. I’ve kind of been Insta-stalking you for a while because I love the photos you share and the projects you create. One of the themes I’ve noticed—and it’s totally fitting for what we’re talking about today—is how simple, elegant, and beautiful your work is. And now you have some exciting news to share. Want to spill the beans?

Teresa:
Yeah! So… I wrote a book called Modern Crochet.

Brittany:
That’s amazing! I’m really excited to talk about that. We’ve done a few episodes recently with makers who’ve walked the book-writing path, and it’s always exciting. I know a lot of listeners want to do something like that, so it’s great to get your perspective. But I also want to talk a bit about minimalism, because I think that’s really interesting for us as makers. It’s a topic we haven’t really covered before, so hopefully we can get into both—your book and minimalism.

But before we dive in, I’d love to hear a little bit of your story. How did you start crocheting in the first place?

Teresa:
Okay, I’ll try to give the short version. I actually started crocheting after my first trip to Haiti, pretty soon after the earthquake. I was doing construction projects—not crochet-related at all—but we were working with an orphanage that had come down during the earthquake. After working during the day, we’d hang out with the kids in the afternoon, and I just fell in love with them.

One thing I noticed was that they didn’t have any bedding on their mattresses. That really stuck with me. I grew up with crochet blankets, and I couldn’t imagine being a kid without one. When I came home—Atlanta, at the time—I tried to go back to work on Monday, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the kids. So I asked my mom to teach me how to crochet blankets like she did when I was little.

I picked it up, made about 150 small, colorful blankets in nine months, vacuum-sealed them, packed them up, and went back to Haiti on my own for a month. I worked with the same orphanage director and a few others to distribute the blankets to kids.

When I got back, I knew I couldn’t just be a blanket factory forever, but I still wanted to invest in those kids and not just live for myself. That’s when I created the shop Day Berset—named after one of the kids there. Instead of giving blankets, I started selling other things and giving 15% of proceeds to support the orphanages.

We’ve helped cover surgeries, school sponsorships, security after break-ins, even soccer uniforms. I work directly with the directors to figure out what’s needed and use crochet over here to help support over there.

Brittany:
Wow, that’s really amazing. I know someone listening is probably touched by that and might want to get involved. Do you have something set up so people can help?

Teresa:
That’s a great question. I’m so grateful for the support—it really is a team effort and the need is constant. Right now, the best way to support is by supporting my work, since I donate a portion of all sales.

Recently, I found out that one of the orphanages needs hats and sweaters for the kids. I know, Haiti is in the Caribbean—but one of the homes moved to the top of a mountain where it gets into the 60s and 70s at night, which feels really cold to the kids. I’ll put something together and we can share a link for people to make and send hats.

Brittany:
That would be wonderful. This audience is so generous with their time—like during the Warm Up America Challenge—so I’d love to include that in the show notes for anyone who has time to make and donate hats or sweaters.

So you mentioned that another way to support is by supporting your work. What does that look like today?

Teresa:
Great question. I started by making blankets, then moved to selling finished pieces like scarves, hats, and headbands. Now I’ve transitioned a bit. I’m doing more B2B—supporting other makers. I’ve created templates and tools for other creatives, plus patterns you can sell finished goods from, and even a masterclass that covers everything I did to turn a weekend hobby into a full-time career. There’s a ton of helpful stuff over at daybrisee.com.

Brittany:
Awesome—I’ll include that in the show notes too. Now I want to shift to the core theme of your book: minimalism. I’ve heard that word before, and I’m sure many others have too, but I don’t know if I’d call myself a minimalist. Is that something you can define?

Teresa:
It’s different for everyone. It really depends on your starting point. I’m hesitant to define it for others, but I can share what it means to me.

For me, it started when we moved to New York into a 350-square-foot apartment—just me and my husband. We couldn’t fit everything. You use your microwave as a cabinet, store sweaters in the oven (and remember to pull them out before preheating!), keep toilet paper under the coffee table… Everything gets used to its fullest potential.

It really forces you to think carefully about what you actually need. Every purchase is intentional. I only have six shoe slots, so every pair has to work for multiple occasions—work, weddings, everything.

That mindset has spilled over into my work too. When I was selling finished goods, I had to store inventory in my apartment all year. So I’d review sales data closely and pare things down—only offering the three best-selling colors or five most popular patterns. I stopped making the trendier, complicated items and focused on what people loved most.

You’ll see that in my work today. It’s simple—basic stitches, minimal color, timeless designs. Things you can use and remake, not just a one-time project.

Brittany:
Yeah, that makes sense. When you were selling finished goods, were you on Etsy or doing markets?

Teresa:
A bit of both. I started on Etsy, which was great, and I did the Renegade Craft Fair here in New York once a year. It’s a big weekend event. But again, anything I bought for my booth—shelves, tables, displays—I had to figure out how to store it all year. So even that had to be intentional.

Teresa:
We tried to choose booth setup pieces that I could also use at home. I worked really hard to find items that could break down into very small pieces so they could be tucked into every corner of my house. But now that I’m no longer selling finished goods, that was a huge shift—I was able to remove all of that from my home, including all the shipping supplies and packaging materials. So now I have my living room back, and my husband has his closet back. It’s been quite nice.

Brittany:
Yeah, well the reason I asked that is because you mentioned you used to keep a year’s worth of inventory at once. That’s really interesting. I’ve never had a maker business myself—it just wasn’t in me to make the same thing over and over—but I’m really curious how that works. I know a lot of makers listening might not have heard that before. What made you feel like you needed to have that much stock at once?

Teresa:
Oh yeah. So when I first opened my store, I had no idea what would sell or how much of it, so I just made one of each thing, listed it, and waited to see what happened. The following year I did the same thing, but with a bit more traffic. Everything was made to order, which meant total chaos during the holiday season. Basically, an order would come in, I’d make it, and then ship it. I constantly had a backlog.

Eventually, when sales increased and I went part-time at my original job as a designer, my husband and I looked at a spreadsheet of the past year’s sales and projected for the following year. We estimated the increase we could expect, then broke that down to figure out how many of each product and color I’d need to make each week. That way, by the time I got to Q4, I could simply ship those pre-made items and not be scrambling to make things during the busiest season.

Brittany:
Is your husband an engineer?

Teresa:
He works with data.

Brittany:
Okay, that makes sense! My husband’s an engineer too, and that sounds exactly like something he would do. It reminded me of him.

Teresa:
Yeah, it’s super helpful to have a partner who understands the numbers better than I do. He actually enjoys figuring that stuff out for me.

Brittany:
Yeah, I think it’s really helpful to have someone like that, but it’s not a requirement. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel like they can’t do it just because they’re not super comfortable with data. It’s good to know that you can use data if it’s available—and if not, there are other people who might help set up something simple to make more informed decisions. Especially if space is limited like it was for you.

Teresa:
Exactly. The numbers help give you something specific, but most makers can probably look back on the previous year and remember what they had to make over and over again. So even without data, you can still start from there. If you know, “This scarf always sells,” or “This purple yarn is always popular,” that’s a great place to begin.

Brittany:
Yes! And you said something else that really struck a chord with me. It’s so relatable not just for makers, but also for designers. You mentioned looking at your pattern sales and sticking to the five that performed the best. I think so many of us feel like we’re stuck on this content wheel. As soon as we finish one project, we don’t take time to enjoy it—we’re already onto the next. We’re in this race with ourselves, and with each other to some degree.

I love how you’ve stepped away from that. Can you talk about your thought process there? Were you afraid to not design as much and focus only on what performs well?

Teresa:
I love what you said—the “content wheel struggle.” That really resonates with me. And honestly, it still applies to me. I don’t want to pretend like I’ve figured it all out. But here’s the difference I feel: that content wheel becomes less overwhelming when I limit my options. I tend to work with the same three colors and the same few stitches.

When I look at all the possible stitches, yarns, and colors out there, I get overwhelmed and almost paralyzed trying to decide what to do next. A lot of people think that my minimalist aesthetic is limiting, but I actually find it freeing. It helps ease that content pressure because I’m only willing to take so many creative paths—and that gives me clarity.

Brittany:
Yeah, it’s almost freeing. Have you ever heard of Gretchen Rubin?

Teresa:
No, I haven’t.

Brittany:
She has these categories that help you understand what makes you feel calm or grounded. And hearing you talk about minimalism, it’s shifting my perspective a bit. Having fewer options, keeping things simple—it makes sense. It’s all starting to click for me. Maybe minimalism is something I should be leaning into more.

Teresa:
Yeah, I find it really refreshing. From the outside, it might look limiting, but I think it depends on your personality. If you’re someone who doesn’t thrive in clutter—someone who finds tidiness rejuvenating—minimalism can be incredibly powerful.

I’ve noticed a big difference in both my work and my personal life. I try to cut out the extra stuff that makes life feel heavier. As a business owner, you deal with decision fatigue every single day. Every pattern involves tons of decisions—what yarn, what color, what stitch, how to launch it, how to promote it. It adds up.

So I’ve tried to figure out: where can I reduce decisions? How can I limit my options? That way, I have more capacity each day. Instead of staring at a packed wardrobe in the morning, I ask, “Black or white?” It’s a simple choice, and it saves me mental energy for later.

Brittany:
I love that. I’ve heard the same thing from other podcasts and books on productivity. If you can eliminate small decisions early in the day, you save brain power for the big ones later. Like laying out your clothes the night before or eating the same breakfast every day—I do that too. I don’t have to decide what I’m making in the morning.

Then when I walk into my office and I’m being hit with questions or ideas or content to create, I can give it 100%. I really love how you’re applying that same thinking to your creative process. That’s next-level stuff. I haven’t done that before, but I want to try it.

Teresa:
Yeah, I’d love to hear how it goes—if you notice more clarity or more mental space in your day.

Brittany:
I think I will. The other day, I had one of those moments where I just hit a wall. You know, like you said, decision fatigue. I was so exhausted. I felt like nothing was working and my routine needed a refresh. So I grabbed a notebook and wrote down every project on my plate that was stressing me out. Just getting it all out of my head made me feel lighter.

Then I remembered a podcast I listened to that suggested creating a “decision filter”—basically, a list of questions you ask yourself when new opportunities come up. I’ve always struggled with saying no—I’m a yes person, a people pleaser, an opportunity seeker. So I wrote down eight questions to help guide my decisions and keep my commitments in check, while also protecting my time and energy for things that matter—like being present with my husband, or spending time with my family.

I’m still testing it out, but I’ll have to check back in and share how it’s working.

Teresa:
I’m dying to know—what are your eight questions? Can you share a couple?

Brittany:
Sure! I’ve got my notebook right here.

So, my first and most important question is: “Will this teach someone something about crochet or knitting?” Because at my core, that’s what I love to do. I love designing and everything that comes with it, but my biggest goal is to help people learn. If the answer is no, I ask myself: “What will it do for my audience?” Because I don’t want to say yes to something that’s just for me—or just for money. I want to keep my promises to my audience and be intentional.

Another question is: “Will it require me to work weekends or after 4:30 p.m.?” That one’s tough. I struggle to check out that early. Most days, I want to sit in my office until the last possible second—but I know when I stop at 4:30, I’m better for it.

Teresa:
Wait—you get to stop working at 4:30? That sounds amazing!

Brittany:
Well, that’s the goal! When I stop at 4:30, I take care of the dog, start dinner, maybe flip through recipes. I really enjoy cooking, and I like the house to feel warm and inviting. I’ll light a candle or turn on the wax melts—just little rituals that help me wind down.

But if I don’t check out early and I keep working until the last minute, I rush through everything. Dinner feels thrown together, and my project time feels squeezed. It’s just chaotic. So I guess, in a way, I’ve already been moving toward a minimalist mindset without fully realizing it—just trying to figure out what makes me feel good and adjusting my routine accordingly.

Teresa:
I love the intentionality behind that—figuring out what truly works for you. When you first start a business, it feels like you have to say yes to everything to grow. But eventually, you realize not every opportunity is a good one. Some come at a cost—either to your personal life or because they prevent you from saying yes to something even better.

I will say, though, minimalism hasn’t helped me completely check out of work. Like you said, it’s rarely about needing to work—it’s about wanting to. We love this. We love the craft. We’re lucky to turn that into work, but it definitely blurs the lines between personal and professional.

What I try to do is reserve tasks like admin, emails, and coding for the workday. And if I want to work at night, it has to be knitting or crocheting—something I’ve already designed. Just working rows. No decision-making. No strategy. Just creating.

Brittany:
Yes, same here. I don’t mind knitting or crocheting in the evenings at all. Honestly, it really helps me wind down. It never really stops, does it?

Teresa:
Nope. It never stops.

Teresa:
For sure. Ironically, I almost never get to knit or crochet during the workday. There are just so many other demands on my time. So if I have a really stressful or intense day, when I get home at night, all I want to do is crochet.

Brittany:
Same here. Now, I’m curious—do you do this full time? Or did you say it’s part time?

Teresa:
No, it’s full time. It’s been full time for maybe three years now. Totally stressful.

Brittany:
Yeah, I can imagine. I’m pretty comfortable doing tutorials because I’m on the other side of the camera. But something people might not realize when they’re watching is that, usually, you have a tripod in front of you that you’re straddling, or there’s a camera right in your face. Your arms are all stretched out in weird angles. It’s definitely not a comfortable way to crochet.

Teresa:
That’s so funny—I’m glad you said that because I always feel like I’m balancing in some weird position to make it look natural, even though it feels anything but natural. Sometimes I’m literally looking through the camera lens to crochet, and the depth perception is totally off. I miss stitches all the time. It’s just a completely different experience from being in your pajamas at night, watching Netflix, and making a blanket.

Brittany:
Oh yeah, totally. I’m working on a knitting project right now that I’ve really been devoting my time to, and even though I enjoy my work during the day, I catch myself thinking, “I just want to go knit and see how this project turns out.”

Teresa:
That’s exactly it. I did something new recently—I’m the world’s slowest knitter—so I’ve started keeping a project on my desk, right next to my computer. Whenever I’m working through emails, waiting for something to upload, or doing something mentally heavy, instead of reaching for my phone, I’ll knit a couple of rows. That way, I can make progress on that fun project during the day. It’s more relaxing and makes a nice little break from decision-making. And the best part is that suddenly this thing is finished, even though you never set aside a full block of time. It just came together, a couple of inches at a time. You might try bringing your knitting project into your office too.

Brittany:
That’s a great idea—I haven’t tried that, but I will! People ask if I knit or crochet while I’m recording the podcast, and I don’t. For one, I talk with my hands—so much. I’m doing it right now! You might even hear me bump the mic sometimes. But I also find it really difficult to think and talk while also knitting or crocheting. I can’t really do both at the same time. But I do have a lot of upload time and those little windows where I could try your idea. That’s such a good tip.

Teresa:
Yeah, I’d love to hear how you like it.

Brittany:
Definitely. Now, one other thing I’ve been wondering about with the minimalist crafting lifestyle—how do you handle yarn? It’s really hard not to accumulate a lot of yarn. Is that something you’ve struggled with? Do you have any tips for someone who doesn’t want a giant yarn stash?

Teresa:
Yes! For me, the biggest factor is color. If you can minimize the number of colors you use, then you don’t end up with little leftovers in every color and fiber. Right now, I mainly use white, oatmeal, and black. So the ends of each skein can go into the next project—everything gets used. That’s been huge for me. I don’t have 100 different types of scrap yarn—I have maybe a few scraps of each color I regularly use, and that’s it.

Another thing I do is take any leftover or discontinued yarn I don’t use anymore and bring it to Haiti. I’ve gone a few times now and taught kids and some of the moms there how to crochet. So I gather up all my extra yarn—maybe it’s a color I don’t use anymore or something I just want to share—and I bring it with me. I try to do a yarn collection before each trip, if I have room in my suitcase. So if anyone listening ever wants to donate yarn, I always welcome that.

Brittany:
Oh, that’s awesome. And I assume people can find more info about that on your website?

Teresa:
Yeah, it’s all there!

Brittany:
Great! Now what about different types of yarn—not just colors. Do you find yourself wanting to try new yarns on the market, or do you stick to your tried-and-true favorites?

Teresa:
Good question. I definitely have my go-tos. Lion Brand Thick & Quick is one I love—it’s great for so many projects. Bernat Maker Home Dec is another I use a lot. And for worsted weight, I usually stick with Wool-Ease or Vanna’s Choice.

So if I think about it, I basically have a go-to yarn for each weight, and I have go-to colors in those weights. It’s probably eight SKUs total. One of the reasons I do that—aside from simplicity—is because I want my patterns to hold up over time. I don’t want to use some trendy yarn that gets discontinued six months later. That’s happened to me before, and it’s frustrating for me and for the people who buy the pattern.

When you use more established yarns that have been around a long time, people can still get the exact materials years later. It saves them from having to guess on substitutions, and it saves me from answering the same questions over and over. It just gives the pattern more staying power.

Brittany:
Yes, that’s a really good point. I have a few older patterns with discontinued yarns and I’m still helping makers find substitutions. It’s like never-ending work.

Teresa:
Exactly. And again, with minimalism, I’m always trying to streamline the work and reduce future issues. If I get a question and that pattern has sold 1,000 times, that’s potentially 1,000 people who might have that same question. So anywhere I can prevent confusion, I try to.

Sometimes that just means giving the name of the yarn and suggesting an alternate in the pattern. That way, even if the original yarn disappears, they’ve got a backup before needing to contact me. It’s all about creating a better experience and helping people feel confident in the pattern.

Brittany:
Yes! And I have to ask—because I totally geek out about systems and processes—is there anything you use to keep track of all of this? Your to-dos, questions coming in, pattern links, that kind of thing?

Teresa:
I wish I had a better system for handling questions—I still respond to each one individually by email. But something I’ve started doing that’s helped a lot is adding a click-through link in each pattern that leads to a password-protected page on my site. That page includes all the supplies I used for that project—things like the exact hook people see in the photos, which they often ask about.

I also use that page to add updates. If a yarn goes out of stock or becomes hard to find, I’ll suggest alternatives—like holding two strands of worsted together if bulky yarn is scarce. That way, I can help people proactively without having to email everyone individually.

Brittany:
That’s a great tip.

Teresa:
And then for organizing everything on the back end, I use a platform called Airtable. It’s basically like glorified spreadsheets. It’s beautiful, super intuitive, and very flexible. I have a base (like a project) for each major part of the business—marketing, products, etc. Inside each base, I have tabs for things like email, blog, Instagram, patterns, merch, and so on.

So I use Airtable as a kind of idea dump and project tracker. Then each day, I go in and say, okay—what can I move forward today in marketing? In products? It helps me stay focused and organized without feeling like I’m juggling a million scattered pieces.

Brittany:
I’ve heard of Airtable! I’ve played around with it a bit but haven’t set anything up fully. For anyone listening who’s familiar with Trello—it’s kind of like Trello, but better. And I say that lovingly! I’ve been using CoSchedule for the past three years, but just this week I started trying out Asana.

I’ve heard people rave about it—it has a similar look to Trello with boards and cards, but you can also switch to a list view, calendar, timeline, whatever you like. It kind of combines everything. I’m really loving it so far.

Teresa:
Yes! Same idea. I’ve been using the free version of Airtable since the beginning and honestly, there’s nothing I’ve needed that it doesn’t do.

Brittany:
Yeah, yeah. I feel the same way about Asana right now. I don’t see the need to pay for it at the moment. But if I did, it’s still two-thirds less than what CoSchedule was charging me. That’s incredible. So I think that’s a good approach.

Anyway, I don’t want to get too off track with that. I’ll have links to both platforms in the show notes. If you’re a maker and you need some organization in your life, these are two great tools to try. I’ll also link to CoSchedule—it’s super useful, but for the right person.

But I do want to shift gears a little bit to your book. It’s so beautiful. I’ve been able to flip through and see what it’s going to be. Now, it’s still in the pre-order phase, so I feel really special that I get to look at it before anyone else! Tell me a little bit about the book—what’s it called, who’s it for, that kind of thing.

Teresa:
Yeah! It’s called Modern Crochet: Patterns and Designs for the Minimalist Maker. It’s divided into three sections.

It kicks off with the fundamentals—things like how to choose your yarn and hooks, especially if you’re a total beginner. It also covers how to read a pattern, which I think is useful no matter your experience level. We can all sharpen our understanding of pattern terms.

Then it dives into 16 patterns, most of which are exclusive to the book—they won’t be on my website. And finally, there’s an appendix of stitches and skills—things like the slip knot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet, and half double crochet. Each one has step-by-step photos, written descriptions, and access to video support.

Videos weren’t part of the book contract, but I personally rely on video to learn, so I made sure to include them. They were shot at those awkward, tripod-straddling angles we talked about—but they’re there!

Brittany:
Awesome. And there are quite a few projects in there—can you talk about a couple of them so people know what to expect?

Teresa:
Sure! There are 16 projects total. Some of them are actually crochet versions of my bestselling knit patterns. I think most of my followers lean more toward crochet—I’m not sure if it’s my style or because crochet was my first love—but I get a lot of requests for crochet versions of my knit designs.

One of the patterns in the book is my coaster pattern. It’s a simple square with a wooden ring attached to one edge—I love adding wooden rings to things. Another is the bobble pillow, which is actually on the cover of the book. It’s super plush with a beautiful texture, and it’s been one of the most talked-about patterns so far.

There’s also a faux fur cowl. That one’s a bit of a gamble yarn-wise, since faux fur yarns sometimes get discontinued. But the result is so soft and cozy—it felt worth it.

Brittany:
Oh, I used faux fur yarn for the first time just a few weeks ago, and I joked on BeHooked TV that I want an entire outfit made of it. I just want to rub it all over my face.

Teresa:
[Laughing] Oh my gosh, yes! Like a faux fur jumper! I was shocked by the quality of it. And the final look was just so polished. I love that you can’t even see the stitches—it still blows my mind that it works like that. It was really fun to work with.

So overall, the patterns are split between home decor and accessories—things like scarves and hats. There are no garments. Everything is beginner-friendly or on the easier side. But there’s still a wide variety, and I think people can find something that resonates with them—or even use the patterns as a starting point. Like, if you like the basket design but want something taller or narrower, these patterns set you up to customize with confidence.

Brittany:
Yeah, and I love how simple and clean everything is—easy to read and follow. I could see this being a great gift, too. If you know someone who wants to learn crochet, this book would be a great starting point. The patterns are approachable but don’t look basic. That’s hard to do.

Teresa:
Thank you—that’s such a great compliment. That’s exactly what I’m going for: patterns that are simple, look clean, and are presented in a way that makes them feel doable.

Honestly, I can find patterns overwhelming myself, so I work really hard to pare things down to the simplest, clearest way to explain them.

Brittany:
I’m sure, though, that writing the book was anything but simple. Do you want to talk about how it came together—how the idea came about and how it actually went? I mean, obviously it worked out, but I imagine there were lessons along the way.

Teresa:
Yeah. I would never describe the process as rainbows and unicorns. [Laughs] I’m really proud of the book and how it turned out—it’s so cool to hold it in your hands and know you made it. It’s a very different feeling than publishing a PDF.

But it was a full-time job. I signed the contract over Christmas break, and we started the first Tuesday of the new year. I turned in the first draft of the manuscript in May. So it was five months of intense work. I don’t think my brain ever turned off during that time.

I was thinking through every pattern and how to support it. Online, I usually just list the skill level and let the maker decide. But for the book, I wanted to make sure that anyone could pick it up—whether they’ve crocheted before or not—and be able to complete every pattern.

That sounds lovely in theory, right? “Let’s make it accessible and helpful for everyone.” But in practice, it was so much work. I started realizing how much we know as makers that we don’t realize is insider knowledge.

For example, a pattern might say “chain 20.” But before I can say that, I have to teach how to make a slip knot. And I have to explain that patterns don’t usually mention the slip knot—it’s implied. That’s a super basic example, but every technique required full explanations, step-by-step photos, and a video.

And honestly, I didn’t even know all the technical terms. I learned from my mom, so there were a lot of gaps in my formal understanding. I worked with a tech editor—bless her, she was amazing. It would be a different book without her.

There were times she’d say, “Okay, this is the industry-standard term,” or, “I know you’re calling that a short row, but technically, it’s not.” It was like walking around with cinder blocks on my feet—every step forward created six more things to do.

It really made me appreciate how much easier it is to write patterns for experienced makers who already know the basics. But for this book, I wanted to make sure someone could give it as a gift and trust that their friend or sister or daughter could actually finish all 16 patterns. That was a huge goal—and a huge lift. I gave it everything I had for those five months. And honestly, I’m still recovering from it.

Brittany:
Wow. And you were still running your business at the same time, right?

Teresa:
Yes. And because my work is so customer-facing, I couldn’t really take a break. I still had to answer questions about patterns—emails, DMs, comments. I still had to post to Instagram every week, engage with my audience, and stay active in the community.

And the tricky part was, I couldn’t talk about the book yet. It was all under wraps. So I had to figure out how to talk about what I was doing without actually saying what I was doing.

Sometimes I even had to create extra content on the side, just to keep the business moving forward while the book work stayed behind the scenes. It was a lot of hours and a lot of work. I’m really, really grateful to be on the other side of it now.

Brittany:
Yeah. Now, knowing how difficult that was, would you recommend someone move forward with publishing a book—let’s say it’s their ultimate goal—but they already have a full-time job or a business like you and I do? Would you say it was worth it in the long run? Should they strive for that?

Teresa:
I would say yes—still do it. I would do it again… well, let me clarify: I would do this book process again. I’m saying no to a future book for the time being. [Laughs]

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that writing a book is a totally different ballgame from anything digital. It seems like it should be in the same category—you’re writing a pattern for a book or a pattern for a PDF—but to me, it felt completely different. It took everything I had.

So, if you want to write a book, be ready to give it everything you’ve got—and make sure you really want it. I definitely wouldn’t view it as this simple thing to create passive income on the side. It’s only going to be as good as the effort you put in.

If you think about the weight of something being in print, on bookshelves worldwide—that’s a big responsibility. I think it’d be hard to imagine wanting to do it without going all in. So anyway, I’m rambling now—but I’d just say: know what you’re getting into, and be ready to commit fully.

Brittany:
Yeah, I think that’s really great and practical advice. I haven’t written a book, but I do have experience knowing when to say yes and when to say no. That decision filter exercise—figuring out what it means to say yes to something in a certain season of your life—is so important.

Because when you say yes to one big thing, you often have to say no to other things. That’s how you make space to give it your best. And that kind of preparation really sets you up to fulfill that commitment.

I mean, yes—when you hit “publish” online, you’re still putting your name on something. But with a book, it feels so much more tangible. You can’t just go back in and edit a post if you make a mistake. It’s quite different.

Anyway, I appreciate you sharing that advice. I’ve been thinking about writing a book myself—it’s definitely a long-term goal. I’m not sure when, but I think it would be a really meaningful experience. So thank you for that perspective. I know it helped me, and I’m sure it helped a lot of listeners too.

Now, the last thing I want to ask: where can someone pick up a copy of your book? Where can they pre-order it? And when will it be available on shelves—and whose shelves might it be on?

Teresa:
The easiest place to get all that info is debrosse.com/book. I’ve put together a page there that includes interior spreads, so you can get a feel for the aesthetic, how the content is laid out, the density of it—all of that.

On that page, I’ve also listed all the retailers currently offering pre-orders. Amazon has it in several countries. Target has it. Walmart will have it soon. Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million—they’re all on that list.

As for store shelves, I’m still waiting on final details from my publisher and the sales reps. But it should be available wherever books are sold. I know Barnes & Noble has already placed their first PO, and we’re waiting to hear back from Anthropologie, West Elm, and others.

So the book is Modern Crochet by Debrosse—wherever books are sold.

Brittany:
Wonderful. Okay, I’ll have all of that linked in the show notes. And T, thank you so much—this was such a fun conversation for me. I know it was fun to listen to, and it was just… wonderful.

Teresa:
Thank you! I had such a great time. And honestly, I kind of want to do this again and interview you next time, because there’s so much I want to learn from you.

Brittany:
I would love that. I really think this is the start of something more than just this one podcast episode. That’s for sure. Awesome—thank you again. It was so nice to chat.

That was T from Debrosse. Once again, I’ll have all of her book info and pre-order links over on the show notes page. You can find that at behooked.com/138.

I really encourage you to check that out and support her—especially if you love what she’s doing with her mission, her minimalist approach, and the work she’s doing for those orphanages. If you want to know how to get involved, I’ll have a link to her website where you can learn more.

Now… wasn’t that such an insightful conversation? I can’t be the only one who was totally inspired. I had an amazing time talking with T and learning how she integrates her creativity and her values into a meaningful and purpose-driven business.

So thank you again, T. I’m so glad we could share this conversation with the Be Hooked audience.

And thank you—yes, you—for tuning in. If you haven’t already subscribed to the show, I’d love for you to do that or at least consider it. It might not seem like a big deal, but it really helps the show. When you subscribe, it tells the podcast platforms that this is a podcast worth recommending to other crocheters and makers.

If you’ve already subscribed—thank you! If you’ve left a rating or review, thank you so much. I love reading those.

That’s all for today, friend. Thanks again for listening week after week. I really appreciate you—and I’ll see you next week.