Sparkling Angel and her crochet baby outfits

Seen on Facebook, the page of ‘Sparkling Angel’, featuring gorgeous looking baby outfits, handmade with crochet, kids’ knitwear, items of decoration, etc. The ‘Sparkling Angel’ Facebook page is likely to mesmerize any fashion and crochet lover. News on Sunday tried to find out more…

She calls herself Sparkling Angel and her business is about babies and kids crochet outfits. Behind this profile lies Smiljaana, a young woman entrepreneur. She declines to publish her photograph but agrees to share her passion with us.

“It's a passion which I discovered since a very young age. It all started when I found myself browsing through catalogues and getting really amazed by the wonders of crochet. Those crochet outfits I saw compelled me to explore further and learn the craft. So I decided to manipulate the soft wools and let myself be guided by the catalogue's instructions. I strived to weave a dress meticulously and after some trials, I succeeded in knitting simple braided lines. This initial success was indeed an incentive for me to try other patterns and eventually give shape to my creations. Over a period of time, I became a crochet artist who constantly looks out for creativity and innovation.  I specialise in crafting a spectrum of designs for babies and kids,” explains Smiljaana.

So how does she carry out her business? Our young entrepreneur says that it is more a passion than a business. She prides in having people buy her products and enjoy her artistic creations. “This is not something that can be mass produced. Each item is a unique masterpiece. It is time consuming but the end result is worth the painful effort put in. I sell mainly on facebook and customers get to know about my products by word of mouth. I have a few regular customers and I manage to sell enough to cover my costs and earn a small income for a decent living,” she reveals. She has been doing crochet works for nearly ten years but her marketing on social networks started only three years ago.  

By constantly posting various samples of crochet baby outfits online, all differing in designs and colours, on different groups on Facebook mainly and requesting my customers to show the outfits they purchase to their close ones, I manage to enlarge my customer base.  I also have two pages on Facebook, namely ‘Crochet Splendor’ and ‘Crochfabs’ where I post my product samples and let customers make their choice.  Not everybody who ‘likes’ my samples or enquires about my work makes a purchase, but the mere fact that my crochets attracted them is enough satisfaction for me. “Sometimes, customers would place an order but when the product is ready, they never come to pay and collect, and this is a major hindrance to my business. But in general, almost all my customers are very reliable and they are satisfied with my product quality. I appreciate all the positive comments they post on my page and this is very encouraging.”

Does Smiljaana have any dream of turning her modest business into a massive enterprise in the future? No, came the answer. “I want to remain an artist with direct contact with each customer and create according to their wishes…”