80+ Black Crocheters and Fiber Artists You Should Know

I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of similar lists lately. While this conversation has been ongoing, and highlighted more so as events have unfolded in the last few weeks, I have noticed a lot of it is focused in the knitting sphere of fiber arts. But less so in the crochet realm, so I want to make sure you know about some of my favorites here in our crochet community!

I hope you’re already aware of most of these folks, but if not, here’s a resource for you! Just for the sake of this not being incredibly lengthy, in this post I am going to highlight some of my favorite black crochet designers, but I am also including a spreadsheet list I’ve created that you can download as an additional directory. It includes 80+ Black fiber artists– Crocheters, Knitters, indie dyers, designers, pattern testers, shop owners, bloggers, youtubers and more! I will be directing you to their Instagram accounts, where you will be able to follow their provides links to all their various shops and websites!

While this is by no means a complete list of the talent in our community, these are the accounts I’m currently following. If I missed your favorite or you have other suggestions drop me a comment! 

I do want to say, while I never have compiled all this information into one spreadsheet before, with the exception of some new-to-me accounts I did find in the last few weeks, the majority of these makers are ones I have followed, supported, purchased from, conversed with and worked with over the duration of the last few years of my crochet journey. I already have shared some of them and their work with you before on my Instagram/blog/YouTube channel and I will continue to do so in the future, because it matters. Diversity and representation in our community matters. Their voices matter. Each one of them matters. Not just this week. But always.

In case I was unclear, supporting these artists isn’t something trendy or something that you get 20 points for and then can pat yourself on the back as “one of the good ones” and carry on with y’self. This needs to continue next week. And all the other weeks after.

But I would encourage you, if you haven’t started already, do it now. Check out some or all of these accounts. Don’t just hit follow cause that’s “the thing to do” this week and check it off the list. See what they make. Hear what they are saying. See who they are. If their work and message resonates with you, give them a follow. Hit “like.” Leave comments. Subscribe to their channel. Read their blog. Make purchases. Stay a while. Stay for the long run. Cause the more love we have in this fiber community, the better. 

Now, onto some of my favorites in the crochet design game (in no particular order or rank, just like the larger list)!

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Key Allen/ @designsbykey

In Key’s design line up you will find beautiful, sassy, size inclusive crochet garments mixed in with inspirational quotes and some other fabulous tapestry crochet projects! You like Bell sleeves? Check. Need a bag that says “Hookin’ Aint Easy”? Check. A bathmat that says “get naked”? Gotta covered. She also has a crochet blog featuring some of her patterns as well!

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Ashlee Elle/@thedreamcrochet

I’m pretty sure she is the one I’ve been following the longest and one of the first crochet accounts I found, period. Ashlee has such a unique style of design and photography, you can’t help but be pulled in. And she is an PROLIFIC designer. Like, over 400 patterns in her shop (mainly garments!!) and close to 4,000 sales on Etsy. It takes me like a month to grade one pattern and she is just cranking them out, one after another, AND taking/editing the most whimsical and memorizing photos I’ve seen from any crochet designer! And she’s has a blog and a YouYube channel too!

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Toni Lipsey/@tlyarncrafts

I recently saw someone call Toni “Queen T” cause she’s basically the Beyonce of the crochet world, and ya know, that’s pretty accurate in my opinion. While she might be the face your most familiar with on this list, if you aren’t you had best go fix that now. Toni is not only an incredible crochet/tunisian crochet designer, but she is also a wealth of knowledge on how to run a crochet business, kill it on instagram, and just be an all around top notch boss babe. She is one of the major reasons I felt the confidence to even try to start a crochet “empire” a few years back. And the sole reason I felt like crocheters were allowed to use fingering weight yarn. She designs. She blogs. She Youtubes (is that how you say that? Is a YouTuber?). She collaborates. She slays in on the ‘gram. Toni does it all.

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Elisabeth Desamour/ @desamourdesigns

Okay, first, this leafy, flowy, In the Forest of the Night cardigan? Stop it. But in addition to being a talented designer Elisabeth has a heart for the community and seeing our businesses succeed in her role of “small business coach” and “social media manager.” She has a blog that is full of resources, she also runs a facebook group, and she hosts a yearly make-along highlighting BIPOC fiber artists (#BIPOCmal2020) . And she also serves in the US Navy.

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Kelsie Weeks/@craftingforweeks

Maybe you don’t know Kelsie yet, but you might have seen her Luxe Leopard line floating around in the last year or so. It’s leopard print. Crocheted! Kelsie also has a blog featuring patterns and stitch tutorials. In addition to her own business, she is also one half of Pineapple and Pine, an online maker community. And random fact, she currently live where my crochet business journey began and I just think that’s nifty. Oh, and I can say from personal experience, she’s a great pattern tester!

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Natalie Thomas/@detroitknots

If the knit community gets GG, I feel like our crochet community equivalent is Natalie. She to loves orange, has a Mama’s heart, tells it like it is and smiles big. In addition to crochet garment and shawl designs, Natalie also features several Tunisian crochet designs as well. She also encourages community and features other makes you should meet with her #makerlovemonday posts! You can check out her recent Kristy Glass interview here!

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Vincent Williams/@visuvios_crafts

Vincent actually is a talented crochet AND knit designer. And he also sells finished items in addition to designing! All of his stuff is impressive, but those TAPESTRY DESIGNS, you guys. I’m normally fascinated by any tapestry crochet, but his are so incredibly detailed and tell whole stories! Also, that photography and branding? Top notch. But wait there’s more, he curates “maker mood” playlists. And every interview I’ve seen with him always has me laughing.

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Neo/@croknitessentials

You might not know Neo yet, but I want to make sure she gets mentions because I have so enjoyed working with her as a tester for my patterns, as well as testing for her too! Her designs are focused on hats/toques, mommy and me sets, and shawls right now, but she recently designed the blue top she is pictured in just for herself and hopes to start designing garments in the future. Um, I’m here for it, Neo. Keep your eyes on her, people.

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Heather Griffith/ @hgdesignscrochet

I have never seen anyone come up with so many ways to use a granny square and not get sick of them. Honestly. Heather comes up with the most fun and modern takes on the crochet classic (I believe more of her patterns can be accessed through Patreon)She also hosts a podcast featuring all of her lovely squares and what shes got them up to. I just love the way she makes iconic crochet cool! (She did ask that I mention that she is of dual heritage, because as she said, “I would literally be half of the person I am without one side of my heritage.” )

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Talia McHayle / @taliacrochetcreations

I love Talia’s use of textures and lacey stitches to create statement crochet pieces. And she has such a range of silhouettes to choose from! I really like her vibrant color choices and the way she styles her garment photos too! Talia is a crochet blogger, as well. Oh, and she also has dazzling glittery crochet hooks you can snag! She has described one of her recent designs (the Meira Ruffle Crop Top, pictured above) as “spirited and full of vibrancy” and honestly, that’s the vibe I get off of her whole brand!

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Caleisha Ryan /@nadiratani

Caleisha is one of my all around, never miss an episode, favorite crochet/knit/craft/plant lady podcasters. She’s the host of the Quirky Monday Craftcast and you guys, she’s amazing. She always has me cracking up when she does impressions of her dogs, or yells at the menace that is her Florida back yard. Not only is she quite humorous, she is also an advocate for mental health and encourages each of us to find and share “bright spots” in our week. And if all that wasn’t enough for you, she’s a poet and definitely has a way with words. She always addresses difficult topics with such grace, heart, and eloquence, and I really appreciate that about her. But if podcasts aren’t you’re thing, she is also a designer who puts such thought and care into each design. Not only does she make an object, but she tells a whole story with it. And she’s been known to sell limited edition project bags from time to time too. Just go check out all the things that are Caleisha, please.

I realize that was quite the lengthy post (good thing I didn’t try and fit in all 88 of my faves, right?), but I hope it proves to be a valuable resource to our crochet and fiber arts community! & Thanks for being a part of it, ya’ll.

If I missed someone that you consider a favorite, leave a comment and let me know! I’d love to be able to keep adding to the directory to spread even more love around with you all!