When Yvonne Liebregts looks back at her creative life, it feels like the thread that ties it all together began decades ago in a small classroom in the Netherlands. She was just 13 when she crocheted her first pot holder at school and learned to sew her own clothes. At home, creativity ran deep. Her mother crocheted delicate doilies using the finest yarn, knitted with ease, and stitched intricate cross-stitch landscapes. Yvonne still treasures those handmade pieces, a reminder of the heritage she unknowingly inherited.
For many years, crochet remained a quiet memory. Then, during the pandemic, the world changed, and Yvonne found herself crafting small frogs and colorful roses to decorate the Carnival jackets her hometown is famous for. It was a simple return to yarn… but it was just the beginning.
Nearly four years ago, Yvonne and her husband set off on an unforgettable adventure: they bought a sailing yacht in Lefkas, Greece, and began living aboard full-time. Life on the water came with a warm sailing community, and before long, new friendships blossomed, even online.
One day, a fellow sailor posted her crocheted Christmas decorations on Facebook. Curious, Yvonne asked if they were difficult to make. “Not at all,” her friend said, and that encouragement changed everything.
Yvonne picked up a crochet hook again and made her first Rudolph and Father Christmas. The pattern was in English, but with the help of Google and determination, she made it through. When the sailing season began on April 1st, she reunited with her friend and saw something extraordinary: a beautiful handmade Louise doll.
Yvonne was instantly captivated, especially by the eyes. She wished she could make something as stunning. And to her surprise, she did. “A very proud moment,” she says. From then on, she was completely hooked.
Today, crochet fills her winter days aboard the boat (it’s too hot in the Greek summer to crochet!), especially since there’s no TV on board. Her dolls have become precious gifts for her family: the first two Louises went to her granddaughters. One wasn’t even a “doll girl” until she held her Louise and fell in love. Her grandson soon hoped for one too, and Count Drake quickly became his treasured companion.
So far, Yvonne has made 16 dolls, two Halloween sets for Louise, and all the Christmas decorations, every piece handmade with love. Four dolls even sail with her: a mermaid, Yuki, Naomi, and her very own Greek doll, Dimitris, a doll she designed by blending different patterns to create her own little evzone.
With each project, her creativity has grown. She laughs, remembering her early struggles with front and back loops, and how a simple revelation, always keeping the beginning yarn tail on the inside, solved weeks of confusion. It’s now her favorite tip to share.
Crochetree patterns continue to inspire her, and she loves how each doll comes to life with personality and joy. But she also gives a friendly warning to anyone thinking of starting: “Once you begin, you can’t stop. You’ll want to make them all!”
Somewhere in the turquoise waters of Greece, two sailing boats travel from island to island… each carrying not only their captains but also a tiny crew of Crochetree dolls, handmade with patience, pride, and the quiet happiness that crochet brings into Yvonne’s life.
