My Personal Journey Into Crochet
It could have been a bright and pleasant afternoon if it weren’t that day of the month when my kids and I prepared the family’s order of random cheap trinkets from across the globe.
Among the endless scroll of my daughter’s list of favorites was a cute little dinosaur with a peculiar, almost funny word in the description: amigurumi.
It only took a few days and a handful of online searches before I was hooked forever (pun intended). This wonderfully creative Japanese crochet technique became my new obsession.
The unexpected joy of creating tiny worlds with yarn
I already knew a bit about crocheting from my younger years, but diving into amigurumi was the perfect way to rediscover my old love for crochet.
Yarn, needles, and a whole lot of love!
Back when I was a teen, there was no YouTube or TikTok. So, now I had to master the terminology for every stitch, learn to read patterns, uncover the secrets shared by crochet wizards, and explore the endless world of tools, accessories, needles (so many needles), and most importantly, yarn.
Understanding yarn became an adventure on its own. I needed to recognize its types, textures, origins, and the effect each one would create. I had to know its weight, thickness, and compatibility with different hook sizes. Everything had to match the vision for each project perfectly.
And then I discovered crochet flowers and bouquets. That was the moment I knew what I was always meant to do: stop killing plants and start making my own dream flora that doesn’t need water and live forever.
And so began a long period of practice, designing, obsessive yarn buying, collecting tools I rarely used, and developing a lovely, sexy shade of red in my tired eyes. Not to mention the neck strain, arm fatigue, and finger cramps I’m still trying to shake off.
Why? Because every time I start a project, the next moment I lift my head, five or six hours have mysteriously passed. That’s what they say about great passions. They make you lose all sense of time. And your back. And your legs, for that matter.
Now, my home is always full of handmade flowers. And so are my friends’ homes. No one asks me what I want for my birthday anymore. They already know it’s yarn. And everyone around me knows that my gifts will always be large, luxurious bouquets of dramatic, strange, and sometimes alien flora that doesn’t exist.
Bouquets I spend more than two or three days making, bouquets that say loudly that I care.
And honestly, I’ve never felt happier.
So yes, crochet is my great passion now. It started with a cute little dinosaur and became a bed of roses (or better, medousas) stitched together one yarn flower at a time.
So, welcome to Kootsiko, my tiny rebellion made of yarn! This is my brand about creating art that feels personal & unapologetically different.
If you too, believe crochet is punk, flowers can be goth, and gifts made by hand hit harder, you are at the right place. I’m so glad you found your way here. 🖤
Until next bloom,
❤️
Kootsiko
Keep reading: Crochet mistakes I keep making