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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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This is a great beginner friendly pattern, very easy to follow. Tutorial video on YouTube to accompany is a great help too! What a wonderful gift idea, thank you for creating it!... Any other cultural deco. patterns/tutorials coming...? Hope so!
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.
The directions are so clear and easy to follow. I am a beginner and this pattern is really making me feel confident. My first stocking was less than an hour to make (which I went really slow-so it was a surprise it worked up so quickly). I am making them for a group of coworkers and I think they are going to love them! Thank you.
Just finishing up the collar trim and I will be finished. It's only been 2 or 3 days working on it off and on. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a pattern that has no complicated stitch patterns. This one fits the bill but is still a nice looking project. Can't wait for cooler weather so I can wear it. Might be a while here in Louisiana.
I love this hat; it is so easy to make and works up really fast. I used a size 7:00 mm hook. My only concern was I wasn’t sure how many chains to make for the infant and child sizes.
I love this pattern. It follows along with the video perfectly! I have started 2 of them! I couldn't wait to use the yarn I had!
Iii love this hat and want to make them for myc3-5 year old students. Could you i i love this hat. I would like to make them forcmyc3-5 yearvold students. Could you please help me with the sizing needed for t toddlers? Basically hook size, number if chains and rows. I appreciate any help you can provide.Thank you very much
I haven't made the cardigan yet but I watched the video and it looks like an easy made to your size pattern. She goes slow in explaining how to make the cardi. It's different than anything I've made before. I'm looking forward to making it.
Love this pattern. It is very easy to follow and really makes it straight forward. While I am not new to crochet, I am new to following patterns. In the past I have always just 'winged it.' Also like that there is additional information for sizing as well as a video to help me when I get stuck.
Would highly recommend this pattern!
