Healing Through Crochet: The Tia Coat Journey

Recently, my niece asked me to make her a bohemian granny square coat. If it had been anyone else, my answer would have been a firm no. I never take on requests; I prefer to let my crochet projects flow naturally, driven by my own happiness. Most people don’t realise just how many hours go into creating something like this. But this request felt different.

My sister and I have a relationship that can only be described as similar to the Gallagher brothers from Oasis; fierce love, but at times, fierce conflict. Over the years, our inability to accept each other’s differences took a toll on both our families, and sadly, our children lost touch. As a result, I missed out on watching my only niece grow up, which was a deep source of pain for me.

Fortunately, like Noel and Liam, my sister and I have managed to reconcile. We’ve grown, changed, and now have a much deeper understanding of each other.

So when my niece asked me, “Ness, will you make this for me?” how could I possibly say no?

Every stitch I made for this coat truly came from a place of love. It’s not just a crochet project—it’s a labour of healing and connection.