I often get asked how long I’ve been crocheting and I’m never really sure how to answer that question. I remember seeing crochet for the first time when my father presented me with some crochet slippers my estranged grandmother made me. I wanted to not like them to keep solidarity with my mom, but there was something about them that I knew was special. I remember feeling sad that I didn’t have anyone to teach me. I would stare at them for hours trying to make sense of the stitches.

Many years went by. I had been married, had children, and widowed (at 27 years old) when a friend of the family came to live with us in 2009. She was crocheting and I was, once again, fascinated and so excited because this might be my chance to learn! I yearned for a hobby. She tried showing me basics (in Spanish). She was making up her own patterns and crocheted so fast and I was left a bit intimidated. I struggled to learn how to hold the yarn and hook and when that family friend moved away, I put a pause on the hobby once more.

The seed had been planted though. She had left me a hook and yarn and I would practice making a chain once in a while. I started working at a library shelving books in 2013 to keep myself occupied and would run into crochet books that I would try to make sense of. Eventually I turned to YouTube and found a channel by the name of HappyBerry Crochet. The quality of Laura Eccleston’s videos are so good and I love her accent. I also made friends with Elizabeth Pascoe from Mermaid in Stitches and she has been there to answer questions and problems I run into. She’s also always there for a yarn run, and to share patterns with.

At first, some of the things I made were atrocious. Way too big and wonky. I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong. From 2013-2020 I was working on my BFA and crocheted when I would get a moment. It took me years to realize that I needed to pair certain yarn with certain hooks or that there was certain yarn I should just stay away from and other yarn that worked up much easier.

Since 2020 on, I have taken crochet much more seriously. I take my yarn and hook wherever I go. It even went with me on a cruise to the Bahamas. I crochet while I “watch” tv or waiting at the doctor’s office. It’s taken years to try to crochet tighter and know how to gauge my work and learn different stitches.

In 2023, I’m now at the point that I can manipulate patterns and increase or decrease their size so that they fit in my vintage art frames. I am a yarn hoarder. I have a craft room with shelves and shelves of yarn and am now attending craft shows and markets where I am able to sell my products. Yes, people are buying the things I crocheted! I have my own website and have a vendor space at Mala Market near Montrose in Houston where I sell my berets, hats, crocheted plants, amigurumi, and fiber arts. In February 2023 I will be assisting in teaching my first crochet class along with Mermaid in Stitches.

Crochet has become more than just a hobby for me. It has helped me with anxiety, depression, restlessness, boredom, and helped me express my creativity and made me be a successful small business owner. It’s a skill worth working at. It can be challenging and frustrating for sure. If you’re learning how to crochet, don’t give up! Crochet has now become a part of who I am.

I’m still improving everyday. I’m now facing the challenge of keeping my arm in good health in order to continue crocheting. If you’d like to read more about my inspiration and journey you can find an interview that I did with Shotout HTX here. If you would like to sign up for our February crochet class for beginners click here.