About Us
Earlier in my career, I worked at Google Classroom as a Design Lead, a position that initially filled me with confidence and a sense of competence. As time passed, my role evolved, and I moved into management. While on the surface, this seemed like a natural and positive step, internally it signified the start of a period of doubt I had never experienced before. The skills that had once grounded me—creative problem-solving, design execution, and visual thinking—no longer seemed enough. Suddenly, I was responsible not only for my own work but also for leading a team, making difficult decisions, and managing complex relationships. The confidence I had spent years cultivating began to wane as I faced challenges that felt beyond my capabilities. For the first time in my career, I questioned whether I truly belonged in the role I had worked so hard to achieve.
In an attempt to quiet these doubts, I sought an outlet that was completely separate from my professional identity—an activity with no expectations or performance metrics, something where success wasn’t defined by results. That search led me to crochet. Initially, it was far from relaxing. My first attempts were awkward and frustrating. I spent hours watching tutorials, reading guides, and trying to decode patterns that felt foreign. My yarn tangled, my stitches were uneven, and the projects never turned out the way I had imagined. Many times, I questioned why something so simple felt so hard. I vividly remember struggling to make a basic penguin, wondering if my inability to get it right was a sign of deeper self-doubt.
Yet, slowly and almost imperceptibly, things began to change. With repetition, I started to feel more comfortable with the process. I began to experience small victories—completing a row neatly, mastering a stitch, or creating a shape that looked more intentional than accidental. These small moments of success provided me with a quiet sense of progress. Crochet became a space where my efforts, though not immediately rewarding, eventually paid off. It reminded me that learning is rarely straightforward and that confusion is often the precursor to understanding. Through crochet, I rediscovered a lesson I had momentarily forgotten: being bad at something isn’t a failure—it’s just the start.
Over time, crochet transformed from a simple distraction into something far more significant. It became a reminder that growth doesn’t stop when you feel uncertain or uncomfortable. It taught me that persistence, patience, and curiosity can help you navigate unfamiliar terrain. The first time I completed a project that once seemed impossible, I experienced an unexpected sense of pride—a personal satisfaction that came not from external recognition but from proving something to myself. This feeling, akin to what Italians call “fiero,” reminded me that confidence can be rebuilt, often in the most unexpected ways.
This personal experience eventually laid the foundation for The Woobles. What began as a hobby evolved into a larger vision about learning, resilience, and self-belief. The Woobles is more than just a crochet project or making cute characters out of yarn. It’s about embracing the discomfort of being a beginner and finding joy in the process of growth. It’s about recognizing that if you can take something unfamiliar, work through the challenges, and create something tangible, then other life challenges—whether personal, professional, or creative—may also feel more manageable.
At its core, The Woobles is an invitation to reconnect with your ability to grow. It encourages you to experiment without fear, learn without judgment, and create without the pressure of perfection. It serves as a reminder that progress often happens quietly, through small, consistent actions, rather than through dramatic breakthroughs. If you’ve ever felt stuck or disconnected from your confidence, there is value in trying something new just for the sake of trying. Pick up some yarn, make mistakes, start over, and keep going. On the other side of that first awkward stitch lies a sense of fulfillment, new possibilities, and a renewed belief in what you’re capable of achieving.