From “messy little swatches” to a passion for bags
Crocheting from the heart — and passing it on with love.
About crochet, memories and a creative mission in Senegal
For me, it all began when I was a girl, with crochet, knitting and spool knitting. And now, years later, making bags has grown into an unstoppable passion. In this blog, I take you along on my creative journey — and into the beginning of something beautiful: Bagolu, our crochet mission in Senegal.
As a girl, I was always making things. Crochet, knitting, spool knitting… I could spend hours doing it. I had a little basket filled with all kinds of experiments, scraps and half-finished pieces. My mother always called them my “messy little swatches.”
But to me, they were not messy at all.
They were creative little adventures.
At school, we had handicraft lessons, and I genuinely loved them. It never felt like something I had to do. Quite the opposite. I loved working with my hands, creating something, seeing something come to life. Looking back now, I can truly say: creativity was passed on to me from an early age.
My mother was a seamstress, and besides that, she was simply good with her hands. From her own background, she would transform coats into beautiful suits and make the most wonderful clothes. As a young girl, I wore clothes she had made herself: trouser suits with embroidery, skirts, dresses. She also crocheted little doll clothes.
Crocheted doll clothes made by my mother. This is where my love for crochet and creating began.
There was always something being created in our home.
Always.
Maybe that is why it still feels so natural for me to always be making something. Because sitting still? That has never really been my thing.
Some passions do not simply appear out of nowhere. They have been in your hands, in your mind and in your heart for years.
At some point, I started making a few bags. Just like that, because the idea came to me. And as often happens: one thing led to another. Before I knew it, I could not stop.
Making bags has truly become my passion. In a way, I am busy with it day and night. Creating. Designing a new pattern. Making choices: which base fits best, which handles, which model, which look?
And preferably, I dive into all the little details too, because that is exactly where the magic happens. That is where a bag gets its character.
What I love so much about this passion is that you are constantly creating something beautiful. It brings you into a certain vibe. Your mind is active, but in a good way. Your brain is working, but not from stress — rather from relaxation, joy and inspiration.
For me, it truly creates a different mood. It awakens my creative spirit and gives me space.
After crocheting and making several bags with cotton yarn, I discovered another type of yarn: polypropylene. At the time, it was completely unknown to me. But what a discovery it turned out to be. Sometimes you come across something and immediately feel: yes, this is special.
My passion for bags: crocheted with love, ready to travel.
Making bags became more than something just for myself.
It became something I wanted to share.
And that is exactly where Bagolu begins.
Bagolu was born from my love for crochet, colour, bags and creativity. But it is now growing into something bigger. Alongside organizing retreats and group journeys, we are also working on creating a crochet school in Abene, Senegal.
My wish is to pass on my crochet skills to the women there. Not only so they can learn how to crochet, but especially so they can gain a skill that can expand their own possibilities. Making a bag then becomes more than a creative process — it also becomes a way to build their own business.
Their own business.
Their own income.
A way to contribute to their family.
That touches me deeply.
Because what once began for me as little swatches in a basket may, for a woman in Senegal, become the beginning of something new.
A skill.
Self-confidence.
Creativity.
A product to sell.
A step towards more independence.
That is why we are collecting crochet hooks. That is why we are building Bagolu step by step. That is why I want to pass on my knowledge, my patterns and my love for making.
From heart to hands.
And from hands to opportunities.
In a way, it is truly beautiful: a passion that once began at the kitchen table is now growing into a creative mission that can support women in Senegal as they build their own future.
A new beginning for Isatou in Abene: learning to crochet, step by step, to build her own business.
And that is exactly what I want to share.
Do you have a crochet hook at home that you no longer use?
Then your crochet hook can get a new life in Abene.
Would you like to support Bagolu or learn more about the crochet mission in Senegal? Feel free to send me a message or visit the Bagolu page on Sunrise Senegal for more information.
Step by step, this creative journey continues to grow.
Started with love.
Built with care.
And created to pass on creativity to women who can use it to shape their own future.