How I Run my Work From Home Business as a Mother of Two Under 6

Hi Friends,
I am Criselle of CriselleBelle Crochet and Knits and I’m taking over a bit of Elisabeth’s blog while she’s away on her deployment! (Have fun, Elisabeth!)

So I’m here to give you my top 7ish places I like to knit and crochet (because those are the ways I take care of myself).

The Drop-Off/Pick-Up Line at Kid’s School

So school starts at 8 am and I strap my kids into their car seats at 7:30am to make the trek to school. THEY ARE STRAPPED DOWN AND CAN NOT LEAVE! Take this time to whip up a few rows on a scarf or shawl, baby! I lug around a Betsy Johnson kitty shaped backpack because I’m a girly-girl surrounded by testosterone (hubs and kiddos and two male doggos) and I fill the said backpack with the standard wallet, diapers, wipes, Cheerios, restaurant crayons, stolen Starbucks napkins AND a beanie I’m working on just for me. While I am in the drop-off/pick-up line in my car, I add a little bit every time I’m just sitting and waiting there to either drop-off Rocco or pick him up. So not only am I knitting the stress away, hopefully, before my kindergartener is in third grade, I’ll have a sweet, sock-weight yarn, beanie just for moi.

Early Morning

This only works if you are a morning person. If your kids wake up at 6:30am like my gremlins do, wake up at 5am and make yourself a cup of STRONG coffee, chug it and get to knitting/crocheting. It may sound insane to people who don’t like the butt crack of dawn, but honestly, it is so peaceful… peaceful because NO ONE IS AWAKE. By the time you’ve knitted half a sweater using chunky weight yarn and drank another two cups of joe, the kids will begin to wake up and then it’s GO TIME!

Middle of the UnGodly Night

This only works if you are a night person. So my kids go to sleep at around 8pm, I read them some Harry Potter, which is my fave, and they honestly knock out in five minutes, I attribute it to the being tired and not because HP is boring (because it’s not… lol). Then I clean for about an hour before the madness of the next day is upon us, and then I make more coffee chug it, and then I knit and crochet while I watch ESPN with my husband who has nodded off. By the time I finish one beanie, my hubs usually wake up and head for bed, then it’s Mama’s turn for the tube and I binge watch The Great British Bake-Off while I knit up a couple more hats. I then go to sleep at 2am, I know, I’m insane.

Rocco at School and Clay is Napping

So this one needs to be timed properly as Rocco goes to school for three and a half hours (hey, it’s kindergarten). So once Clay and I come home, I give him his second breakfast while he watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and I wash dishes, vacuum and take some meat out to defrost for dinner. Then I look over and he’s rubbing his eyes, that’s when I scoop him up and take him into my bed to put him down for a nap. Taking him into my bed to nap is key for two reasons, one, I have my knitting right there next to me, I can just start knitting without having to leave him and two, because if I do need to leave for whatever reason, the bed smells like me, and he won’t sense that I’ve left.

Golden Hour

This is the time after dinner when my husband is home and has time with the boys. This is the best time because the day is done pretty much, everyone is home and well fed and we can enjoy each others company. The kids know this is my knitting time, so they rough house with dad and get all the energy out before bath time and bedtime.

PARTY TIME

So I’m 31 years old, my twenties are long gone and I was never much of a partier anyway. With that said, anytime there is a family function/gathering, I bring my yarn and make away. Everyone I know, knows I do this, so it’s no longer a surprise to them when I bust out a hook and have at it. All the kids are usually playing in the same room as the adults and multiple eyes are on them so I take that time to create. What’s fun is when there are friends of friends and family who are new and ask what I do; I pull out my business card at the end of the night so they can find me on IG and maybe peruse my shop site.

Random Places

So I pretty much bring my yarn everywhere with me in my backpack, so when the opportunity knocks and I’m in a long line or something, I knit. Here are some places I’ve knit because why the heck not: Disneyland while in line for rides and the kids can’t get away. Also on Jungle Cruise, at a baseball game (Dodgers, baby!), at the library while the kids are listening to the librarians’ storytime, at a restaurant while waiting for food, while I’m at Valvoline getting an oil change and many other random places…

So yeah, you have no excuse. If I can knit while on Jungle Cruise at Disneyland you can’t tell me you can’t find time to do this wonderful hobby you have. You need time to relax and take a little time for yourself. You need it and you deserve it! I know I do!

It was a pleasure sharing 7ish places to crochet and knit with you today. Don’t forget to stop by @crisellebelle on Instagram to say hello and check out my shop shopcrisellebelle.com or on Etsy!