Hi, I’m Nicki.
I’m a Certified Crochet Instructor through the Craft Yarn Council located in Cincinnati, Ohio. I offer Learn to Crochet classes on YouTube, teach in-person classes at local yarn shops, and design user-friendly crochet patterns.
To book a teaching engagement or view my patterns for sale, see below. Thank you visiting – I love sharing my knowledge and teaching others about this gorgeous craft!
My Services
Beginner Learn to Crochet classes can be viewed here.
Teaching engagements can be booked here.
Patterns can be purchased here.
My Story
I loved everything my grandma ever made. Lavender doilies, a eye-catching granny square maxi skirt, countless chevron afghans, delicately trimmed washcloths, you name it. I loved to craft and create as a child, so seeing her take a ball of yarn and turn it into something completely unique with just her hands and a hook amazed me.
After some prodding, she taught me to crochet when I was 10. We created a swatch together and worked on washcloth trim, but I could never seem to do it when she wasn’t sitting right next to me. Stressed and disappointed, I put the art of crochet squarely in the “I’m just not good at it” bucket at the ripe old age of 10. I left it there for years, along with my prized first swatch that I saved all these years.
Some 20+ years later, I read a book called Mindset. It states a growth mindset can determine the outcome of your life and argues you can control and grow your intelligence and abilities. It made me rethink what I’ve held myself back from over the years, what I’ve given up on that I should have persisted with. The one thing that kept popping up in my head was crochet.
Inspired and determined, I designated a week when my kids were at a summer day camp, dug out my grandma’s hook and an old skein of yarn, and pulled up YouTube. I quickly realized I didn’t know where to start. There were countless videos, but little information to guide me on what process I should follow in order to learn the basics in a methodological way. Some videos started out promising, but had inadequate audio and angles. Some sped past parts where I needed clarification. I had no means of trouble shooting and I had no idea what was correct or proper technique.
I stumbled through the process and learned enough to get going. I made a few things by following along with videos, researched how to read patterns, and improved as I practiced. I realized learning to crochet wasn’t as hard as it first appeared to be. The beginning felt daunting, confusing, and unnatural, but it didn’t need to. This was my first realization that there is a gap in the online learning process.
To refine my self-taught techniques, I enrolled in the Craft Yarn Council’s Certified Instructor Program. After I completed the program, I taught classes at a local yarn shop to share my knowledge and encourage others to persevere. I loved watching students find success and blossom in their practice, and developed tips, tricks, and anecdotes along the way that I found helped people pick up crochet a lot quicker.
In-person classes are awesome and arguably the best way to learn, but we can’t all find the time to attend them, or the classes to attend! Online tutorials worked well for me, but it was a confusing and overwhelming process without knowing what process to follow. That’s where I come in to help.
I strategically created videos that show what you need to know in the order you need to know them. They show the critical steps in a clear, manageable way that feels like I’m right there with you in person. Only now, you have the added benefit of being able to pause, rewind, and replay when needed. My goal is for you to feel like you are in the classroom with me, but on your time and at your convenience.
I encourage you to follow my process as laid out on the Tutorials page and my YouTube channel. Once you get a hang of the basics and understand how to read a pattern, put it into practice with one of my beginner projects. If you’re not new to crochet, I have selected other tried and true patterns that are straightforward, easy, and fun to make. Check back often and follow my Blog for more patterns, stories, and community!
Outside of Crochet
I am a Marketing Consultant and have spent 10+ years working in Corporate Retail, CPG, and B2B Marketing. My background includes Fortune 500 companies like Limited Brands and category-leading brands such as LensCrafters and Abercrombie & Fitch.
I’m married and have three busy (and adorable!) children. I love spending time with family, reading, walking, swimming, and immersing myself in all things crochet!
nickibyrnescrochet.com 