Tiffany Schneider’s crochet journey began at age 12 with a simple granny square taught by two patient campers… a moment that blossomed into a lifelong love of handmade creations. From her very first green blanket to the adorable dolls and heartfelt gifts she shares today, Tiffany crochets for joy, generosity, and the simple peace it brings to her evenings. Her story is a reminder that creativity doesn’t require perfection, just patience, curiosity, and a willingness to keep stitching forward. Below, she shares her story in her own words.
"I was at a summer camp, and there were a couple of ladies crocheting. It looked interesting. I was around 12 years old. They were so patient and taught me a granny square. I must have made a bunch of starts before I made my first blanket.
I worked on that first blanket off and on for years! I love the act of making things with my hands. I am not super creative and love making things with written patterns. My first efforts mostly were tossed except for this blanket. I made it in shades of green because green is my favorite color.
I had made a sweater for my daughter when she was little and discovered patterns. It opened a world of crafting for me. Then I found a group on Facebook for making items and giving them away. I love that! I crochet for myself. I don't do it for money, I'm too slow. So I make things that amuse me. I made this bug set and gave it to my kids. Then made some random acts of crochet kindness.
Then one day, my granddaughter asked me to make something for her. Facebook showed me your page and I let her pick out a pattern. I was a little worried that this would be too hard for me. But I went to the store and bought yarn that I was hoping would work out. Ya'll didn't have the yarn store yet. I had not learned a hidden decrease yet. But I think she came out cute anyway! I have made 4 of these dolls and 3 of the cats. I have used a set of the yarn once and LOVED that yarn.
All of the patterns have been really well written. I have only needed help with the mermaid. But I received help quickly! I truly enjoy giving away the things I make. I crochet because I enjoy the process. I am always wanting the next pattern.🤣 I just have to find kids to give them to. I currently have a bunch of sloths on my hook for my daughter-in-law's co-workers. They are a thank you for helping her while she has been pregnant. She works at our Zoo.
I love it when I find my things being played with. When I make something and then hear that it becomes a much-used toy, that makes me happiest!
This is going to be silly, maybe. When ya'll help me make sense of that mermaid tail! I loved how she came out and I could not figure that tail out for the life of me. You made it easy to understand and did not make me feel stupid.
I KNOW if I struggle with anything in a pattern, I can get help. That is my favorite thing. That and the Facebook page where everyone shares their completed dolls. I love seeing how different the pattern turns out on different hooks.
When someone asks me to teach them to crochet, I start with the granny square. It's how I started and helps with understanding basic stitches and helps build tension control. It doesn't hurt to frog, and you can make a few and put together a simple blanket. Easy success is a good place to start. It is good to remember that different isn't bad. It's just different. My tip is to not be hard on yourself. Hobbies are meant to be fun.
Crochet is how I unwind in the evenings. I am not fast enough to do it as an item to sell. So I make things to give away. I do this for a hobby and for fun. That keeps this a good avenue for stress relief for me."
