BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2024 AUGUST 18) – At Blair’s Farmer’s Market, Rebekah Lee’s colorful array of crocheted items caught our attention. When we see new, unique, handmade, and high-quality items for sale at the market, we stop to talk. As the creative force behind Phoenix Rising Creations, Lee has transformed her crochet hobby into a thriving local business – one we thought you’d want to know about, too.
Rebekah is a Blair-based artisan. However, she’s originally from Manitoba, Canada. The journey she and her husband took to end up in Blair deserves an article of it’s own.
She turns yarn into unique handcrafted items. A stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur, she crochets a diverse range of products, from character-inspired stuffed animals to practical accessories like water bottle name tags.
Lee’s journey is marked by continuous learning. She recalls a challenging custom order: “He requested a character from a show that I didn’t know a lot about and had trouble sourcing a pattern. So I made one up, I ended up ripping up the head so many times because I was so unhappy with the outcome, but I ended up with a product that I really liked and he enjoyed.”
Quality is paramount in Lee’s work. “I usually source my materials from Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or Joann’s. In order to make sure to keep my costs down, because unfortunately yarn is not a cheap commodity I take advantage of sales,” she explains. “Quality is important to me. I want to make sure that an item will last.”
Her product range reflects her diverse interests: “I choose products to sell that I truly enjoy making. I have a variety of items because not only do I enjoy crocheting on a regular basis, but also love in general creating things and putting together something that I feel that other people will love.”
Lee’s creative process is intuitive: “My creative process usually starts with seeing something that inspires me. Such as a stuffed animal or a piece of clothing or household items, etc. I end up researching for inspiration through pictures, either done by another crochet artist or images in general.”
Pricing her items involves careful consideration: “I try to base my items based on how long it took, difficultly, and complexity. If it is a custom order I will charge a little more due to the fact that I need to source specific materials, and a little extra time is usually needed to put into it.”
Lee’s most intriguing custom request showcases her adaptability: “The most interesting request I have had to make something, was to make a grenade, with an operational pin to pull that you could insert and pull. Suffice to say that one was a lot of fun to see the finished product and plan logistics on how to make a workable pin.”
As a stay-at-home mom, Lee balances family and business: “It has influenced me a lot. It started because I wanted to be able to contribute a little bit from home. My Husband and kids are my two biggest supporters and they are always rooting for me and are always there to give me input.”
In a market saturated with mass-produced items, Lee emphasizes handmade value: “I communicate the value of handmade items, by trying to provide unique items, or even color combinations. But not only that by verbal communication. I hope that they see the passion that is behind everything that I do.”
Lee is passionate about preserving traditional techniques: “2 techniques that I would like to put more out there and preserve is both tapestry and tunisian crochet. I haven’t done a whole lot of it, but what I have done results in such beautiful work that I want to be able to dive deeper into it.”
Looking ahead, Lee has big plans: “My goal for Phoenix Rising is to make sure to offer more of what I make via crochet on my Etsy shop. I want to make more of that available online as I continue to grow. One thing that I am excited about is I have a cricut machine and on the side I have been making items for both myself and my church and I hope that someday soon I can also incorporate some of those creations as well online.”
We met Rebekah a 2nd time to get a photo for this story. We spent time with her and her husband while they watched their kids play at the park. It’s our honor to bring these stories to you, and even more of an honor to get to know the folks we write about. As much as this story will help you connect with Rebekah, to buy some of her creations, I hope you get to know her good and kind spirit beyond the business.
You can find Phoenix Rising Creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Etsy.
Great article! Becky does some unique items, quality work. I have been blessed to receive some of her creations as gifts!