Latch Hooking for Love

Hi, I’m Katie and I’m a latch hooker. (There HAS to be a better name for that… but I haven’t come up with one yet.) Most people try latch hooking when they’re about 11, but I didn’t give it a go until I was 41. And I fell in LOVE! I’ve always been crafty, trying lots and lots of different projects all my life. But something about latch hook just made my heart sing. It was the perfect craft to bring comfort during the early, scary days of the pandemic. We were told to spend our time at home, and this was something that made me happy to do so. I first started with kits from the local craft store, then found vintage ones online, and eventually started designing my own. The tools are safe and simple (no sharp needles!) and the projects are easy to do from the couch. You just need gridded canvas, yarn, your latch hook tool (it’s like a safety version of Captain Hook’s hand) and Fiskars kids scissors! There’s nothing to injure you when you discover them later in the couch cushions. The repetitive motion of placing the yarn, and the project getting softer with each strand you add… it’s like creating a hug that smiles at you. Nothing other than hot chocolate (which is like drinking a hug!) calms me as much as latch hook.

I always like to have busy hands, and I could binge watch my favorite shows while making soft, pretty projects. The perfect mix of feeling relaxed and productive. I turned my dog into latch hook, my husband into latch hook, my entire home office is surrounded in latch hook! Wall hangings, pillows, coasters, magnets, storage bin covers, placements, etc. I ended up turning the dozens of kits I first made into a Zoom background! Perfect pandemic full circle. You would have no idea looking at the room that I work in a commercial real estate legal department. And that’s how I like it! Dress for the job you want? I want to be a full-time latch hooker! About 6 months into my new passion, I started an Instagram account (@Delightfolks) to highlight the comforting and cheerful projects. If it could bring me this much joy, I hoped it could bring others some too. And lord knows we all needed as much as we could get! Through it, I’ve made other latch hook friends. They have inspired me, taught me new tips and tricks, and it’s such a boost to our spirits to support each other as we work on our projects. A latch hooker in Texas showed me how to cut my own yarn and an author from Chicago taught me about yarn types. I don’t knit or crochet, so I feel like a novice who has entered a big world and happily found her niche. Tufting became a hot online trend during the pandemic, but I like to think of latch hook as the quieter underdog. Literally! Tufters use yarn guns, whereas latch hookers just plant seed after seed of yarn by hand. Did I multi-task and work on latch hook projects during team calls while working from home? Yes!

My goal is to start sharing the designs I’ve created as downloads and kits, so others can have more fun project choices too. Perhaps do some custom projects. And spread the word about latch hook. It’s easy, fun, accessible to all ages and skill levels, comforting, travels well... and it’s retro and modern at the same time. I plan to keep spreading joy with my art in the meantime and creating a happy place to scroll on the internet. I have more ideas for projects than I have time for right now!! I’m incredibly grateful to have found latch hook and the light it brings to my life.