In our Staff Spotlight series, we’re pulling back the curtain on the talented artists, artisans, and craftspeople who make up our crew. Our team is a gumbo pot of creativity: painters, sculptors, woodworkers, fiber artists, costume designers, metalsmiths, actors, musicians, and the list goes on. If you can dream it up, chances are we’re already doing it in our free time, too. That’s what makes us so good at our day jobs as custom experiential fabricators.

Each month, we’ll shine a light on one of our team members—their inspirations, their after-hours projects, and the creative spark they bring to both their life and our shop floor. Because behind every masterpiece is a person with a story worth sharing.

This month we talked with our VP of Finance, Ashley Joiner.

At first glance, Ashley Joiner—or as we call her, Ash—might seem like your classic numbers person. As VP of Finance at Downtown FabWorks, she lives in spreadsheets, budgets, and forecasts. But in her off-hours she’s counting something else entirely: crochet stitches.

Ash first learned to crochet in high school in a class that also taught sewing. During the early days of COVID, she decided to pick up her needles again. Like many of us, she was looking for comfort, something to keep her hands busy and her mind steady. “I don’t make big pieces,” she says. “Mostly little shapes—triangles, flowers, squares. I like practicing different stitches.”

The fact that it’s portable matters. “I can throw some yarn in my purse and take it anywhere,” Ash says. “I’ll pull it out whenever I get a minute.” That often catches people by surprise. “Older folks especially—they’ll see me crocheting and say, ‘I didn’t know young people still did that!’”

Crocheting helps her focus. It keeps her from doomscrolling or playing games on her phone, and it gives her something tactile to do with her hands. The rhythm and speed (or lack of) are meditative. “I can’t rush through it,” she says. “Especially since I’m not that fast yet. You have to go slow and pay attention. Just like in accounting—if you mess it up, you’ve got to go back and fix it all.”

That connection between craft and career runs deep. Crocheting has even helped her retain information—she used to crochet during lectures while earning her MBA at the University of New Orleans.

One of those lectures sparked her latest project: a blanket for her son. “I started crocheting it in class, just to stay focused,” she says. “Then my son saw it and asked, ‘Can I have it when it’s done?’ So now it’s his.”

The blanket, measuring 76 chain stitches across and crafted in shades of blue, is a true labor of love. Ash’s goal is to make it as large as she can, but it’s slow going. Between work and raising a preteen, time is limited. Still, she pulls out the yarn when she can, and her project is growing stitch by stitch.

Ash is still mastering the craft. Her “white whale” is crocheting a perfect circle—for now, she prefers flat shapes. But she’s got goals. Next up: a floppy bucket hat, inspired by her favorite crochet artist, Andrea Nicole, whose work she discovered in a Facebook group called Crochet Tutorials and Patterns. “I love her crocheted bucket hats,” she says. “Once I finish this blanket, that’s what I’m trying next.”

It’s not all about crochet, though. Like any self-respecting crafter, Ash keeps her options open and stocks glue, ribbon, bells, whatever a project might call for. She recounted how last time her son had to make a school project, she had everything he needed in her craft bag. The only thing they had to buy was the poster board. The only downside to being prepared is that crafting takes space. “We’ve outgrown our townhouse,” she laughs. “I don’t even go down the yarn aisle anymore. It’s too tempting—and there’s no place to put it!”

Whether it’s balancing budgets or stitching together a new square, Ash brings the same mindset: slow down, stay focused, do it with care. She may never rush a stitch. But she’s always moving forward—one thoughtful loop at a time.

Interested in finding out how the creative minds at Downtown FabWorks can help you create unforgettable experiences for patrons, guests, and clients? We partner with our clients to design and fabricate immersive experiences, themed environments, and more. Visit our website to see how we can bring your vision to life.