My name is Barbara, I’m 55 years old, and I’ve been living in the beautiful city of Vienna, Austria, for the past 16 years. Originally from Germany, I moved here because my late husband was from Vienna. Sadly, I’ve been widowed for three years now. I work full-time as a payroll clerk in a medium-sized service company, and as you can imagine, my job can be quite stressful. To unwind, I love crocheting dolls and animals—it's my way of relaxing and escaping the pressures of daily life.
I was fortunate to learn how to crochet at a very young age from my grandmother, and ever since, handicrafts have been my passion. Whether it’s crocheting, knitting, or embroidering, I find immense joy in these activities. They allow me to forget everything around me, and the best part is being able to bring happiness to others through my creations.
A few years ago, I crocheted small dolls of the actors from the TV show Criminal Minds and sent them to one of the actors. He distributed them among his colleagues, and to this day, he still keeps his doll as a mascot. It’s moments like these that make crocheting so rewarding for me. I also donate many of my creations to an animal protection association to help raise funds for animals in need.
When I first saw the Crochetree dolls, it was love at first sight. Their beauty captivated me, but I hesitated—could I really recreate such exquisite dolls? I was a bit afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do it. But I couldn’t resist, so I took the plunge and purchased the instructions for Louise.
My first attempt was a learning experience. I had some trouble stabilizing the neck, so Louise didn’t turn out quite as perfect as I had hoped. Her neck is practically nonexistent, her eyes are a bit too big, and her head is more oval than round—but despite these flaws, I still love her.
I was determined not to give up. A friend had asked me to crochet a bridal couple for her daughter’s wedding, so I purchased the instructions for Lila and Ethan. I adjusted their hair and eye colors to match the couple and managed to crochet two beautiful dolls. The lessons I learned from Louise’s mistakes helped me improve Lila, and the result was much better.
Since then, I’ve added more doll patterns and different outfits to my collection. In total, I now have 14 doll patterns and 5 additional outfit patterns. Currently, I’m working on Granny Grace, and after that, I plan to make George, who reminds me so much of my dear Joe. When they’re both finished, they will have a place of honor in his old study.
I’m absolutely thrilled with the Crochetree patterns and how easy they are to follow, even if you don’t speak English that well. I’ve become somewhat addicted to them! I’ll probably end up giving most of my dolls away, and I hope they bring as much joy to others as they’ve brought to me.
