Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Paul.
Hi Samantha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I first learned to crochet in the fall of 2021 because I wanted to make holiday gifts for my family. At the time I had no idea how important crochet would become to me. I was a college student in NYC studying acting, and I would crochet in my free time to help with my mental health. I decided to pivot from acting and move back to Memphis to study fashion and work on my crochet more. In 2022 I moved back to Memphis and I launched my website www.knottedbysam.com in 2023 while I was attending the University of Memphis.
I have struggled with health issues since I was very young and was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis when I was 14 years old. In 2023 my health started going downhill and I ended up having to withdraw from school in 2024. During this time I was diagnosed with many other chronic illnesses, the main one being hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. hEDS is a genetic connective tissue disorder which effects everything from my skin and joints, to my heart. I live in chronic pain and at the time I could barely leave the couch. The one thing I could do though, was crochet. One day in the summer of 2024 I decided I was going to start posting on TikTok everyday, three times a day. I had heard somewhere that was the “magic” number. Slowly but surely I was able to grow that account to over 53,000 followers. I noticed my finished crochet items weren’t selling on my website because most of my followers also know how to crochet. I then started writing and selling crochet patterns for the clothes I made myself. This is where I have found success, I write the instructions for the pattern and can sell that at a much more affordable price then a finished garment.
In April of this year my original TikTok account got hacked and I still haven’t gotten it back. The crochet and chronic illness community really came together to support me and help me rebulild my platform. I have been speaking more about my health online recently and have found there is a large community of people just like me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This has definitely not been a smooth road. I struggle with my health daily, so sometimes it is hard to be in front of the camera when I’m not feeling well. Having my account get hacked was also very difficult as it took away my main source of income.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a crochet clothing designer. I write and sell crochet patterns so other people can recreate the pieces I make for themselves! I strive to make my patterns as size inclusive as possible so everyone can enjoy them.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think risk taking is vital for success. I’m not necessarily talking about big, scary risks, even little ones can make all the difference. I think the biggest risk I took was making the decision to post on social media 3 times every day. I put myself out there everyday and was risking being criticized or judged. If I hadn’t taken that risk I would not be where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.knottedbysam.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knottedbysam/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KnottedbySam
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsknottedbysam
