11-Year-Old Boy Speed-Crochets Unbelievable Masterpieces For Charity
by Sara Burrows
11-year-old “crocheting prodigy” sells spectacular scarves, blankets, and doilies, donates thousands of dollars to orphans
At 5 years old Jonah Larson taught himself to crotchet.
By 11, he became known as a “crocheting prodigy,” mastering patterns even experienced grandmothers struggle with.
Not only is he good, but he’s also fast, turning out blankets, scarves, hats, mittens, doilies and stuffed animals at a dizzying rate, as documented on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, where he now has over 200,000 followers.
And what is he working his fingers to the bone for? Charity… and for fun, of course.
Jonah donates many of his crocheted blankets and sweaters, and most of his profits from selling the rest, to the Ethiopian orphanage he was adopted from and the surrounding community.
He recently raised $20,000 to build a library in the community where he was born and for basic school supplies for the children who live there.
He also enjoys keeping his hands busy, which he says helps calm his mind.
“I’m a very busy thinker, and I’m always thinking of ways to do things differently. Crocheting, to me, is a quiet time because it relaxes my mind. And everybody should have something to relax their mind,” Jonah told The LaCrosse Tribune.
“After a very hard, chaotic day in this busy world with school, it’s just nice to know that I can come home and crochet in my little corner of the house while sitting by the one I love most: my mom,” he told NPR.
One of the most difficult designs he’s completed was a blanket with 800 plush flowers on it.
“I want to hand children in Ethiopia the chance to unlock their own passion and potential,” he says about his fundraiser, which aims to help women and children develop their talents and start their own small businesses.
It looks like he’s well on his way to meeting his goal, with his very own book fresh off the presses:
