Bored Panda reached out to Jonah, who kindly told us more about himself and his appreciation of the crochet craft.
As Jonah started crocheting at only 5 years old, we wondered how his love for it has changed as he has grown up.
“My crochet work has become more sophisticated. It has now become an art form for me as I have taken it to a new level. I have developed my own style and started designing my own pieces. I really enjoy creating new designs and have found a niche in crocheting items for men,” wrote Jonah.
Crochet is often seen as something old-fashioned, but Jonah has made it popular with younger people. We asked what he thinks is the secret to making crochet cool and fun today. Jonah replied: “In order to make crochet 'cool and fun', you have to make items that the younger generation wants to wear. If you look at the 'Leif Shirt' I designed for my brother Leif as an example, he would have never worn a crocheted item. But I made an item that suited his body type and his personality, and now thousands of people have requested the pattern for this item. It’s not gaudy - it’s simple, with clean lines, and looks great on either a man or a woman.
I like to keep up with the trends. Whatever is in high fashion style can be made with crochet.”
Jonah has turned his hobby into a successful business. He shared what challenges he has faced, and what advice he would give to other young people who want to do the same.
“I’ve been fortunate to have my mom help me with the business side of things, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. For years, people have wanted people to make them crochet pieces for 'free'. Nope - I charge for my creativity, my time, my notoriety, my resources… you get the picture… and that’s not cheap. If people want it - they’ll pay for it. The same goes for influencing on social media. Companies need to pay for your worth. And you need to charge them for it.”
Looking back on his journey with crochet, Jonah also shared some of the most memorable projects or moments that stand out and why.
“My most memorable moments are those with Drew Barrymore, Melissa McCarthy, Kelly Clarkson, and my travels around the world such as to Brazil to see the process of making cotton yarn. But the best is giving back to my country of Ethiopia. My philanthropy work means everything to me. I have built the kids in my home country a library complete with books and a librarian, a fully equipped science lab, 90 desks, a girls' latrine, and a soccer team, and now I’ve moved on to remodeling the high school I would have attended had I still lived there. I hope to visit one day soon.”
“Readers can donate to my philanthropy work by visiting my website.”
