Sarita Moody was always into craft making. When she was a child, she was interested in how things are made, specifically textiles, and she’s always been proud of it. When she was seven, she made a skirt out of paper, and showed it off to her whole fam. When she got to college, one of her suitemates knew how to knit and it sparked an interest. Her inner craft-making child came alive again. “I made her teach me that night,” she said.

Feeling Moody, Sarita’s handknit scarf business, came about not long after graduating college. She started using Etsy, back in the day before anyone used the platform, and she started doing pop-ups and other events on Cherokee St. where she could sell her pieces. Now, at 35, she is almost at the point where her business is her full time job.

“I have all these different ideas and I want to execute them,” she said. “I want to experiment. I have been thinking a lot about designing my own yarn, or a staple textile I use for Feeling Moody.”

She gets her inspiration for the scarves from sources like colors and color combinations, finding killer inspirational combos on platforms like Pinterest. When she makes her own yarn, she wants to eventually start mixing her own hues into the brand.

“It’s hard to find yarn that you enjoy working with, the weight, the color, it all has to feel right,” Sarita said.

She eventually wants to evolve Feeling Moody into rugs, pillows, and other home decor. The evolution created Elan Vital, a handmade housewares brand conjured up by Sarita and her business partner Asha. Together, they celebrate authentic artisan techniques, such as weaving, metalwork, knitting, sculpting, and glasswork.

The home decor is natural and handmade such as elephant grass transformed into baskets and tables, mugs and candles made of concrete, and more to come.

“I love things that hold things,” Sarita said.

The brand is mostly handmade in house, and they also partner with other makers. Eventually, she wants to work with other artists in other countries. The future of both brands is that they are separate, but happily married as far as values and care put into the products.

You can find her scarves on her website, Union Studio, May’s Place, and STL pop-ups throughout the year.

“I really like people to feel unique,” Sarita said. “I want them to feel like they could have that one accessory that is eye-catching and starts a conversation.”