Going places with crochet swim wear

When I think of crochet, I think of a baby’s bootees and a toddler’s favourite blanket. I also think of a throw on the back of a cosy living room couch.

Joan Aoko, 26, is unravelling these outdated associations to crotchet with her line of customised handmade swimwear. Her pieces are seductive, fierce and boldly bohemian. They’re contemporary crotchet for the contemporary woman.

This is Joan’s story:

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Crocheting baby clothes became boring, that’s why I ventured into crocheting swimwear, beachwear and festival outfits. Not many crocheters were doing this at the time, back in 2015, in my final year in campus, when I began to pursue this hobby full-time as my bread and butter. Now I crotchet customised crop tops, summer tops, bikinis, monokinis, bodysuits, beach cover-ups and bags.

I can’t say there’s a particular product that’s most popular, really, they’re all popular.

Crocheting these pieces is a thrilling and unpredictable experience because there are many gorgeous shapes of women, many styles, many challenging patterns to learn and many designs to customise.

In 2018, I approached Huddah Monroe, the socialite, to become something of our brand ambassador. She had no clue who I was, ha-ha. But she peeked at my Instagram page — @joheartyarns — and liked our products. She bought two bikinis and shared photos on her page on the day she wore them. I got a huge boost in followers and countless orders after. Some were even asking to get the exact bikinis Huddah had worn; didn’t matter if it was a revealing thong or didn’t suit their body type.

Crocheting is therapeutic for me. It takes me only a few hours to make, say, a simple bikini. Four days for something more intricate like a beach dress.

I learnt to crotchet from my mother. We grew up in Thika. I’d watch her as she crocheted at home. She got unwell and passed on in 2004.

The first item I ever crocheted was a multicoloured case for my red Kofa set. I was 10. I used the leftover threads from my mother, and one of her needles. I have several sisters. None of them picked up the craft but me.

THE BUSINESS

I mostly crotchet using a hook size of 2mm. For stitches, it’s mostly single, double or half double stitches. You can distinguish my work from my team’s work by the tension of my stitches.

One of the nastiest comments I’ve ever received was from an acquaintance, about our beach cover-up shorts. She said that they looked like something a stripper would wear, and that I should go to a strip club to look for clients. I wasn’t hurt by the comment, really, I was surprised.

I graduated from Maseno University in 2015 with a degree in international relations and diplomacy. I’ve never held a job related to this degree — I’ve been running my business since graduating; not once have I been without orders or idle. I don’t feel bad when I see my peers climbing the corporate ladder or in white-collar jobs. I’m proud that I’ve been aggressive to build something profitable and sustainable of my own.

I began a club in 2018 called The Crotchet Club of Kenya. It’s a group on Facebook, it has over 20,000 members. It’s grown to become a community. We share patterns and free tutorials on a variety of patterns. The four women I work with now I got from the group.

Last year, I moved my studio from home to a workshop in Embakasi.

Our items are crocheted from either cotton yarn, or a blend of polyester and acrylic yarn. The bikinis, for example, are all in acrylic and polyester yarn. This yarn is comfortable to wear, long-lasting, and doesn’t fade or stretch; the panty won’t drag down to your knees when you get into water. I import the cotton yarn because the locally available balls are pricey.

My father fully supports my business. He’s retired now. I ultimately want to empower more women and grow the brand to be globally recognised. This year I want to crotchet bridal gowns.