About

How It All Started

My mom crocheted when I was growing up and I used to just sit and watch her. The whole thing fascinated me, how a single strand of yarn turned into an actual thing. She handed me a hook when I was around nine or ten. I made a lot of tangled messes and one very lopsided dishcloth before anything clicked, but once it did that was it for me.

I dropped it for a while as a teenager, which I think everyone does. Then in my twenties I picked it back up because I needed something to do with my hands after long days. I'd come home, put on a podcast or a show I'd already watched five times, and just stitch. The repetition and the focus and the slow building of something from nothing. It made everything else feel a little more manageable. I didn't really think about it beyond that at the time.

From Hobby to hand and heart

For a long time crochet was just my thing. I made blankets for friends' babies, little stuffed animals for my nieces and nephews, hats and scarves as holiday gifts. People kept asking "do you sell these?" and for a while I tried. I set up a shop, took custom orders, spent weekends packaging and shipping.

It started to feel like a job though, and not the good kind. I was crocheting what other people wanted instead of following my own ideas. I wasn't designing anything. I was just producing.

The shift happened when I made a tiny crocheted chick on a whim one afternoon. You might recognize him from my photo up there. I posted it online, wrote up the pattern, and shared it for free. People from all over started making their own versions and tagging me and sending photos. That little chick reminded me why I got into this in the first place. Making something and then watching it make someone else happy. That's the whole thing for me.

That's when Hand and Heart Crochet started.

Why "Hand and Heart"

People ask about the name sometimes. Everything I make starts with my hands but it's guided by my heart. Crochet is how I show love, how I unwind, how I end up connected to people I've never met in person. I wanted the name to reflect that and Hand and Heart just felt right the first time I said it out loud. I didn't overthink it.

What You'll Find Here

I share free crochet patterns here. Mostly amigurumi, but also seasonal projects, home decor, and whatever else I come up with. Every pattern is written with clear instructions, stitch counts, and tips so you can actually enjoy making the thing without wanting to throw it across the room.

All of my patterns are published right here on the blog, completely free. I write them for real people, whether you just figured out single crochet last week or you've been at this for thirty years. I just want crochet to feel fun and doable and worth your time.

Fun Facts / Get to Know Me

I do my best creative work before 10 AM with a big cup of coffee. After that it's kind of a gamble. I have a thing for DK weight cotton yarn and warm earthy colors, so you'll see a lot of mustard yellows and sage greens around here. When I'm not crocheting I'm reading, taking care of way too many plants, or reorganizing my yarn stash for the third time this month. I think frogging a project isn't failure, it's just a plot twist. And I will never not get excited when someone tags me in a photo of something they made from one of my patterns. That makes my whole week every single time.

Let's Be Friends

I love hearing from you, whether it's a pattern question, a photo of something you finished, or just a hello.

Drop a comment on any blog post. I read and reply to every single one.

Subscribe to my newsletter for new pattern alerts and the occasional crochet ramble.

For collaborations or business inquiries, reach me at: [email protected]

Thank you for being here. Now grab your hook and let's make something.

With love and yarn, Tany