Today we’d like to introduce you to DeJah Kedar.
DeJah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was 10 years old when I found my passion for crocheting. My grandmother had been crocheting for longer than I’d been alive and snuggling up in all of the beautiful afghans around the house made me want to make one of my own. She took me to the store and bought me my very first crochet hook and skein of yarn almost 12 years ago! Once I was shown the basics of how to get started, I couldn’t put the yarn down. I started traveling everywhere with my yarn and my hook and I crocheted whenever and wherever I could. Who would’ve thought that 12 years later, I’d still be traveling with that same hook and building a business?!
Crocheting came easy to me at first but over time, it began to present some challenges as I wasn’t able to read patterns. In order to teach myself new stitches, I would use YouTube to watch it happen and try hard to keep up and learn it on my own. After successfully making my first scarf, I became addicted to YouTube and started finding tutorials for more stitches. Once I learned more, I would write down my own patterns in a way that I understood and I started making a lot more scarves and hats for my family as gifts for literally any occasion. In 2010, I began entertaining the idea of having my own business and being able to sell my work around the world. A year later, I sold my very first scarf and hat set and I’ve been hooked ever since.
It has definitely been a journey for me to get to where I am today. I always knew that I wanted to have my own business but I never felt like I fit in the world of crocheting. When I would tell people that I crochet, I would get the craziest look because I didn’t fit into the “grandmother in a rocking chair” stereotype. As a young African American woman, I didn’t think that anyone would take my craft seriously or that I would ever be successful simply because I didn’t see anyone that looked like me until about three years ago. I found a young lady on YouTube who was crocheting and selling her work online and I remembered feeling so happy that I had finally found someone just like me. On January 17, 2017, I decided to file the necessary paperwork and make my business official!!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The last two years have been a very crazy on-again/off-again relationship due to school and work. It got to a point where I would only crochet in my free time during the Christmas season to make a little extra cash for the holidays. I began to settle for low paying jobs and I settled into the idea that going for something I loved was unattainable. I was miserable at work and I felt like a failure every day. I devoted my life to coming in early and staying late. I isolated myself from everyone for an extra hour on my check. I stopped dreaming because I had given up and decided that running a rat race on someone else’s time clock was it for me.
On May 1st, 2019, I made a decision to resign and to start dreaming again. I was blessed with the opportunity to find myself again and truly figure out what it was that I wanted to do. With so much love and support, I’ve been able to pour myself into my business 100% and I have never been happier. I crochet for 12, sometimes 14, hours a day and it can be very painful. My hands and fingers cramp, my fingers bleed, and my wrist swells but at the end of the day, I am so grateful for the ability to wake up and follow my heart.
DeJah’s Designs – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
DeJah’s Designs is a specialty store for custom, handmade crochet wares. We specialize in just about anything from hats & scarves to handbags and special handcrafted masterpieces to welcome little ones in the world. We are committed to amazing customer service and quality and we pride ourselves on excellence in every detail from start to finish.
One of the things that I am most proud of is the ability to share my craft with the world. It’s not all about making money or getting my name out there but being able to represent all of the beautiful and talented young girls around the globe. Being a voice and a role model for other girls is what really matters to me and I really want them to see that there are other crafty girls just like them! An awesome moment that happened for me was crocheting at Barnes and Noble about two months ago and having a little girl come up to me and ask what I was doing. I was able to explain it to her and even teach her some beginner tips for starting her own scarf. A week later, her mom contacted me about private classes to teach her everything I could! It was at that moment that I started to draft ideas to provide girls with creative space for them to teach each other new craft forms and to build friendships with other girls just like them.
The color of my skin and the coils in my hair set me apart from others in a way that is very amazing to me. When people see me in craft stores or crocheting out in public, I am always greeted with surprise because a 20-something-year-old black girl crocheting is not something you see every day.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I believe that the definition of success is different for everyone. I define success by doing whatever it is that truly makes a person happy, regardless of whatever society’s sometimes unattainable standards are. Finding your passion and truly walking in the purpose of your life is the gold standard for me. Being able to maintain one’s happiness and peace of mind while impacting others and making a difference in the world is what it’s all about.
Pricing:
- Classic and Premium Bucket Bags range from $50-$70.
- Baby Gift Sets are $100
- Hat and Scarf Sets are $40
Contact Info:
- Email: dejahsdesigns@gmail.com
- Instagram: @dejahsdesigns
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/dejahsdesigns
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