As the founder of the first yarn company in the GCC region, I get asked a lot – why yarn? Your brand is crochet? Despite of its popularity around the world, many find it unusual that I decided to start a brand for something that already exists in the market, especially without a factory, without staff and without a permanent space!

For those who aren’t familiar – yarn thread made of all sorts of materials, from cotton and wool to nylon and polyester, which is then spun into a ball and used for knitting, weaving, crochet, and sewing. Crocheting is the process of creating fabric by interlocking loops of yarn.

My obsession with yarn began in high school when I saw two girls in my class immersed in crocheting without a care in the world. That is essentially the magic of crochet – it’s loosening up and forgetting your surroundings, which I wanted to experience. I wanted to take my mind off things and focus on creating beautiful pieces with my own artistic touch. Thanks to these two girls who taught me how to crochet, I was able to do so. I still remember the first time I bought yarn and a hook, I got so excited that I started crocheting right there in the car!

Since then, my skills developed to the point that I stopped buying a lot of everyday essentials and made them with yarn instead. The process was fun, and the result was exciting! I crocheted pencil cases, pillows, hairbands and baby blankets into life and made them an extension of my personality. Many people suggested that I sell my products, which seems like an excellent idea – if only I didn’t get so attached to everything I crochet.

What I love about crochet is that it activates the artistic side of the brain. It’s more than just a craft – we have to learn new techniques and allow ourselves to be creative by mixing colours, patterns and different techniques every single time. At the end of every project, I feel indescribably happy and productive.

I always believe in thinking bigger, and I wanted to share my love and passion for crochet. Although crochet is a solitary activity, it has the power to create a community for people who share the same passion. It brings people together by trading tips, techniques, and ideas across cultures. To encourage the joy of crocheting, instead of selling ready-made pieces, I wanted to offer people the tools to learn and broaden their interests. That why I started Cro&Knit, which provides the yarn, hooks, and other tools in hope of inspiring people to find their own voice through crochet. It is very similar to being an art shop filled with rows of paint, brushes, and canvases for the artist to unleash his or her creativity – except, of course, my brand is yarn and all things crochet.

Cro&Knit now is the first Bahraini brand for fabric yarn, which manufactures fabric yarn locally. Our fabric yarn is known to be the softest – even softer than international brands I’m happy to say! More importantly, we encourage crochet as self-expression through workshops and online tutorials. In a world filled with social media and technology, breaking away through handicraft can fill you with joy and confidence.

The success of Cro&Knit goes down to our values, which consist of:

• Design
• Quality
• Sustainability

We incorporate our values into the quality of our products, services and even in simple social media posts! We encourage creativity and inspire youth. We support sustainability and recycling goals through the materials and fabrics we use.

So “Why yarn?”

Do what matters to you! Create a business that is fresh and reflective of what you want to say. I encourage people to do something they are interested in. If you like shopping? Make a business to help shoppers. You like sports? Make a brand for sports clothing. Do not be afraid to compete with international brands, study your product and get it out there!