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I'm Christa, and this is the very first post of my crochet podcast journey! I've always loved watching others share their crafty adventures and thought, "Why not give it a try?" So, here I am, ready to share my world of crochet with you! I’ll try to bring you new posts and updates every couple of weeks—if my kids' schedules allow!
Let’s dive into the fun stuff, from the story of how The Secret Yarnery came to life, to my current and past crochet projects, and everything in between.
For those who don’t know me, let me give you a little introduction. I was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, but grew up in Vancouver. Fast forward to the whirlwind adventure of life, and now I live in Kenya with my husband and four amazing kids. It wasn’t exactly in the plans, but here we are, and I’ve been living in this beautiful country for 16 years now! My kids keep me plenty busy with their energetic schedules—11, 8, almost 5, and almost 4 years old—but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’ve got birthdays coming up soon, so let’s just say, the party planning is in full force!
The Secret Yarnery began as a place to channel my passion for yarn and crochet. Over time, it’s grown into so much more! Not only do I run crochet classes a couple of times a week, but I also have a cozy little yarn emporium. If there’s one thing that's constant in my life, it’s yarn. We’ve got plenty of deliciousness in the store, and a future yarn room tour is definitely in the works! I’ll need to tidy things up first—though let’s be honest, that’s probably a five-minute job followed by me rearranging things for hours... you get the idea!
Want a peek into my world? Check out more about my crochet life here.
At the moment, I’m working out of the guest house of our house, but we’re about to move in a month or so. Once we settle into our new space, I’ll definitely give you the grand tour of my new setup. It’s always fun to see how much a workspace transforms creativity, right? Moving can be a hassle, but I’m excited about the fresh start.
Teaching crochet classes is one of the best parts of my week. I hold classes twice a week—usually on Monday and Saturday. In the beginning, I had different groups on each day, and they all had different project interests. This meant I ended up working on quite a few things simultaneously... sound familiar? Fellow crafters, you know the struggle!
Here's the thing, I’ve got about 10 WIPs right now (yup, 10!), and I don’t even feel guilty. Honestly, I used to aim for just 2 or 3 WIPs, but then I got these amazing baskets from my local grocery store, and all of a sudden, I had six full baskets of projects!
Since I teach weekly, I needed a good system for my WIPs. I used to have them stacked in those gorgeous baskets, but now I’ve transitioned to Ziplock bags for the WIPs that don’t seem to be going anywhere fast. If you’re curious about clever storage ideas, trust me, I’ve been there and tried all sorts of things!
I love keeping my crochet organized, and if you're looking for more ideas, you can check out some of my crochet tutorials and patterns.
I think every crocheter has that one project from last year that stands out, and for me, that’s the Hugs Shrug. It’s fantastic and cozy, and one day I’d love to make a tutorial for it. It’s just one of those designs! But until then, it waits patiently for its moment to shine.
Living in Kenya has given me the creative nudge to explore new kinds of projects, like the mandalas I made to cover chapatti stools! If you've never heard of these stools, their significance is mostly practical—a place to roll out chapatti dough. Unfortunately, I’ve been on the hunt for more stools for months, but no luck purchasing any lately. But hey, I’ll keep my eyes peeled.
One project that holds a special place in my heart is the hippo I made. Isn’t he just adorable? He looks cute from both sides, and I even made a turtle (or tortoise, to be accurate), which I’ll share in another post. I love dabbling in stuffed amigurumi animals, but sometimes, a project like the giraffe, just doesn’t win me over. You crochet some, you lose some!
Recently, I finished a binder cover for our Out and About Hook Along with the Crochet Guild of Kenya. I used this fantastic yarn I imported all the way from Turkey (because, why not?), and it came out beautifully. I used the fantail stitch (sometimes called the paintbrush stitch), and I’ll be posting a tutorial soon—hopefully by today if time cooperates!
Check out my class info and tutorials on various stitches right here.
One of my major WIPs is a corner to corner project in a soft chunky chenille yarn—it’s going to be one cozy blanket! Initially, I intended for it to be a cocoon-style granny square sweater, but now it’s too long (it reaches my knees!). Instead, I’m turning it into a blanket for a friend, and I’ve got plans for making a rectangle cocoon sweater next. Stay tuned! I’ll definitely put together a tutorial for all you rectangle lovers soon.
Oh, and speaking of yarn, I’m super excited because we’ve got another shipment coming in from Turkey. I’m all about finding great deals, and this latest batch includes a gorgeous cotton bamboo blend that I used for a tunic not too long ago. More yarn, more projects!
You can find some of my favorite yarn supplies and fun projects here.
Crochet is my stress reliever, but there are definitely times when family life takes the front seat. Between birthdays, bouncy castles, school events, and planning parties, life gets a little wild. Yet, even with the chaos, I always find time for my yarn. Crocheting at night, while the kids sleep, is like my secret alone time where I unwind (with yarn, naturally).
I’d love to hear about your own crochet adventures! What projects are you working on? Need help with a tricky pattern? Leave a comment below or connect with me through Instagram or Facebook. I don’t really use Twitter (too much going on there!), but you’ll find me across most platforms—except in the fast Twitter timeline!
Curious about more crochet stories? Check out another episode of the crochet podcast here.
I’m excited to share more of my crochet journey with all of you. Be sure to like and subscribe to stay updated on upcoming tutorials, project ideas, and sneak peeks behind the scenes. Let’s grow this yarn-loving community together! Remember, you can find all my contact details in the description box below.
I can’t wait to unravel more crochet fun with you all in the weeks to come!
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In Episode 160 of the Crochet Podcast, we dive deep into the world of crochet with tutorials on creating perfect granny squares and a preview of an upcoming C2C (Corner-to-Corner) Masterclass. Discover the magic of yarn holder spinners to keep your projects tidy and meet some of my charming pets in a delightful yard tour. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned enthusiast, there's plenty of crochet goodness to keep you inspired and hooked!
Everything I need in one place to be creative and I can photocopy extras of the pages I use most to customise my planning. I use it as my main diary, even for work and upcoming events. It inspires me to focus on my creative pursuits too. Love it!
Love this item going to put little gifts in it on the tree ,just tying in tails.
I am really impressed with the quality of this written pattern as well as the video tutorial. Both are clear and detailed. I am not done with my striped cardigan yet, but it's coming together nicely (though I'm not so sure about my choice to use up yarn I already have with individual stripes!)... so many tails to sew in!! My advice would be to buy self-striping yarn like she does in the video.
Easy to follow pattern! Super base for the rectangle or other larger projects.
Keep the tutorials coming and with written and visual instructions to follow along so beginners can learn. Thank you for your help.
I think there is a mistake in the written pattern. It says to do a half double crochet twice, when it is only supposed to be once
Thank you to the Secret Yarnery for this pattern! Can't go wrong with this one, it really is easy and fast to make - I'm on my 2nd one already and plan to do more! You really don't need to look any further if you're looking to make a scarf - you will not be disappointed. In fact, you'll have fun making it (I did!) Happy crocheting!
Thank you for writing a pattern that is amazingly easy to follow and help me produce a stunning piece!!
Wow! I can't believe I made this beautiful toran. Well, yes I can since I followed this easy pattern! Again, wow! How fun was this to make! Super-duper easy to make and you can be as creative as you like by choosing colours, placement of colours to form pattern(s), number of leaves, etc. so it truly can be personalized for any occasion! Love the Secret Yarnery patterns and tutorials - thank you so much for your time, efforts, and for sharing your talent with the rest of us in the world!
The best pattern & tutorial I have ever come across. Loved how you used the needle to clearly point out where the stitch was to go. Have made 3 hats already. Many more on my to do list. Thanks so much
The yarn world is vast & has several yarn naming & grading systems. This chart really helps to get the right weight of yarn, size of needle, gauge & yardage/meterage when using patterns or yarns from other countries. And it covers both knit & crochet. Thank you for putting together this very useful tool, Secret Yarnery.
I love this pattern. Very easy to follow and fun to make.
