Welcome!
The story…
I have been a long time needle artist, and as such, I’ve gone by four hundred different names, trying to find the right one. First, there was Threads by Tiffani and then Theophany Threads and, finally, Tiffani Lynne Crochet, all variations of my first name. But I really am not a huge fan of my name, so I have been trying out new names, along with searching for a more refined mission statement for my business. I am half Celtic (Scottish, Irish and Welsh) and half Ashkenazi (Eastern European Jew). I come from a long line of needle artists on both sides of my family. My Southern grandma’s knitted and crocheted beautiful doilies, blankets and sweaters, as did my bubbies in the shtetl and Lower East Side. In circling back to my name, I realized that “Tiffani” does express exactly who I am and where I come from, because well, it’s me. So, Tiffani Lynne Crochet sticks, and I hope you stick around, too, as I explore and share these wonderful arts with you and learn new tricks and tips alongside you. I’m currently updating a YouTube channel, where you will find free tutorials and reviews of products, and I will have weekly updates on projects completed here. Sometimes, those finished products will be for sale. Other times, only the patterns will be. Either way, everyone is welcome!
My qualifications…
I’ve knitted and crocheted for over 15 years, taught hundreds of hours of crochet and knitting lessons online and in person. Additionally, I’ve been a successful freelance writer since 1996. My nonfiction work has appeared in Pennsylvania Magazine, Country Discoveries, Yahoo! News, Health.com, and other online and print magazines in the US and Europe. My fiction and prose has appeared in the Lindenwood Review, Toe Good Poetry, The Feminine Collective, and others. I’m the author of three novels, Budapest, A Berlin Story, and All This Time, and one nonfiction book, The Freelancer’s Bible. Some of them are still available. If they’re not, and you’d like one, I might be able to squirrel one up for you. Just send me an email at tiffanilynnecrochet@gmail.com. I was born in the steamy South, was raised on the beautiful Oregon and California coasts, and I’ve lived my entire adult life in beautiful Pennsylvania with my family, less than two hours away from my Bubbie’s New York and my husband’s Philadelphia.
Tell me about yourself…
How long have you crocheted or knitted, or are you just starting? Why do you engage in the needle arts, or why are you interested? Where is your favorite place to create?
I knitted and crocheted as a girl, but have forgotten how to. Bought yarn and hooks, but found myself frustrated. Yarn was fuzzy. When I made mistakes, I’d hook onto the fuzz and have difficulty pulling it out to correct error. I probably need to start with smoother thicker yarn.
Yes, I’d say it’s probably the yarn. I actually abandon whole projects, because of the yarn. If it snags or doesn’t flow easily, I toss it.