Hi, I’m Elissa! I’m a mom, Craft Yarn Council certified crochet instructor, designer, and fiber artist. I’ve been crafting and creating since childhood.
I first learned to crochet as a teenager but it (initially) didn't keep my attention. Almost a decade later, I fell in love with crochet. While pregnant with my daughter, I found myself a week into bedrest desperately needing something to do that used just my hands and my mind. I asked my husband to pick up some supplies on his way home. I immediately got to work on what ended up being a very lopsided blanket (made out of novelty yarn). Despite its faults, my little one absolutely loves it and sleeps with it every night! And I haven't put a hook down since.
I find it so easy to enter into a state of flow while crocheting. This is important to me because entering this meditative state is shown to reduce stress levels while also increasing your overall sense of well-being. I hope that every person reading this is able to find an artistic craft that helps them calm and create the world around them.
In February of 2019 I received my Crochet Instructor's Certification by the Craft Yarn Council. You can trust that the information that I am sharing with you is inline with the accepted standards used and taught by the CYC. My goal is to teach as many people as possible, for free, because crocheting makes me happy and I think it could make you happy too! I have a passion for teaching and designing. I want this to be my full-time career and starting this blog is the best way I know how to do it.
I'll be publishing: tutorials, original patterns, and modernized vintage patterns. I will occasionally venture outside the realm of crochet to explore the beautiful and emerging world of e-textiles.
When I’m not crocheting, I’m chasing my goofy daughter, exploring nature or reading. I also love baking!
What does Yarndrasil mean?
It's a word that I made up by combining “yarn” and “Yggdrasil”.
OK, but what is Yggdrasil?
Yggdrasil is the axis mundi in Norse mythology. It is the sacred Ash tree that connects the nine worlds. It is where the gods meet. Where Odin sacrificed himself to himself. At its base sit the three Norns, weaving fate.
I. Love. Mythology.
When trying to think of a name, I just kept coming back to the imagery of an enormous tree, made of yarn, connecting the different worlds of fiber crafts. For 100,000 to 500,000 years humans have tried their hands at one (or more) of these crafts: weaving, knitting, spinning, embroidery, cross stitch, sewing, Macramé, tatting, felting, paracord, dyeing, crochet, etc. Textiles and our relationship to them is constantly evolving. Growing and branching out.
What connects us as fiber artists is the yarn. Our common thread is literally thread! So that's why I picked the name 🙂