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Crafting With Care

How Jonah Larson designs colorful creations out of yarn 

December 2022 / January 2023
By Jessica McKenna-Ratjen and Maggie Mead

COURTESY OF JONAH’S HANDS

Jonah uses a crochet hook and yarn to make objects like these baskets.

As you read, think about how Jonah uses the engineering design process to create his crocheted items.

COURTESY OF FAMILY

Jonah created the look-alike “Jonah doll” to look like him!

When Jonah Larson was 5 years old, he found a strange-looking tool inside his aunt’s bag of craft supplies. He learned it was a crochet (kroh-SHAY) hook—a long, thin tool used to create fabric out of connected loops.

Jonah watched an online video about how to crochet. Then he tried it out himself. An hour later, he had created a blue-and-green dishcloth.

Jonah was hooked! He went on to crochet all sorts of items, from hats to blankets. Jonah, now 14, has grown his hobby into a business. He sells shirts, books, and his crocheted creations through his company, Jonah’s Hands. Jonah wants to encourage everyone to try crocheting. “It may seem difficult,” he says, “but once you get going, it’s easy to learn!”

Jonah Larson was 5 years old. He looked in his aunt’s craft supplies. Jonah found a long and thin tool. It was a crochet (kroh-SHAY) hook. It’s used to create fabric out of linked loops.

Jonah watched an online video about how to crochet. Then he tried it himself. He’d made a blue-and-green dishcloth an hour later.

Jonah was hooked! He went on to crochet all sorts of items. He made everything from hats to blankets. Jonah is now 14. He’s grown his hobby into a business. He sells shirts, books, and crocheted creations. His company is called Jonah’s Hands. Jonah wants to inspire everyone to try crocheting. “It may seem difficult,” he says. “But once you get going, it’s easy to learn!”

Learning His Craft

After making his first dishcloth, Jonah used the same type of stitch to make a scarf. As he learned techniques that were more complex, he was able to create hats, slippers, and even stuffed animals.

Jonah made a scarf after his first dishcloth. He used the same simple stitch. Then he learned harder stitches. He was able to make hats, slippers, and even stuffed animals.

COURTESY OF JONAH’S HANDS

Jonah used yarn scraps to crochet the 700 flowers that make up this blanket.

Jonah soon learned that different types of yarn work better for different projects. Yarn made of wool from sheep or alpaca fleece works better for a winter hat or scarf, says Jonah, because the material holds in heat. But for a summer scarf, cotton yarn works better because it is more breathable.

Jonah first worked from sets of instructions called patterns. Now he often designs his own pieces. Once he gets an idea, he sometimes creates a sketch to figure out how many stitches to use. But he also makes changes to his designs as he works. “With crochet, you can easily pull back a few stitches and revise,” he says.

Jonah learned about yarn too. Different types worked better for different projects. Some yarn is made of wool. It comes from sheep or alpaca fleece. It’s better for a winter hat or scarf, says Jonah. That’s because the material holds in heat. But cotton yarn is better for a summer scarf. Cotton more breathable. That means it lets air through.

Jonah first worked from instructions called patterns. Now, he often designs his own pieces. He gets an idea. Then he creates a sketch. That allows him to figure out how many stitches to use. He sometimes makes changes to his designs as he works. “With crochet, you can easily pull back a few stitches and revise,” he says.

ROOTS ETHIOPIA

Jonah works to raise money for Roots Ethiopia, which funds schools in the East African country.

Giving Back

JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN ®

Jonah lives in Wisconsin, but he was born in the East African country of Ethiopia. His parents adopted him when he was a baby. In 2019, Jonah began partnering with a nonprofit organization called Roots Ethiopia. The group works to fund education in the country.

Using donations from his fans, Jonah has helped fund the construction of a school library and science lab in the village where he was born. He’s now helping the school build new student restrooms.

One of Jonah’s favorite things about crocheting is how it makes him feel. He finds the repeated motion of a crochet hook soothing. “Making something while you’re relaxing is very rewarding,” he says.

Jonah lives in Wisconsin. But he was born in Ethiopia. It’s an East African country. His parents adopted him when he was a baby. In 2019, Jonah paired up with a group called Roots Ethiopia. It works to fund education in that country.

Jonah collected donations from his fans. It was for the village where he was born. The money helped build a school library and science lab. He’s now helping the school build new restrooms.

One of Jonah’s favorite things about crocheting is how it makes him feel. He finds the repeated motion of crochet hooks soothing. “Making something while you’re relaxing is very rewarding,” he says.

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