March is International Crochet Month, and there is no better time to shine a light on the organization that has been holding the crochet community together for more than 30 years. The Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) is the only national nonprofit dedicated entirely to the art and craft of crochet. We reached out to learn more about what they do, who they serve, and why it matters. The answer, it turns out, is more than you might expect.
Crochet, like many arts, is often a solitary practice. You and your hook and a skein of something beautiful. But CGOA has spent three decades building the infrastructure that turns individual makers into a community. With chapters spread across the country—including two fully virtual chapters open to anyone with a Discord account—a CGOA member can always find their people, regardless of geography.
With just over 2,000 members, CGOA keeps the connection alive year-round through local chapters, a quarterly Crochet Along, a monthly e-newsletter, and their quarterly Crochet World insert, Chain Link. Last year’s annual retreat drew crocheters from Alaska to Vermont—a reminder that the fiber arts have never really respected borders.
CGOA’s commitment to education runs deep. Online classes—taught by some of the most respected instructors in the field—draw anywhere from 10 to 60 students at a time. For those ready to go further, CGOA’s Master Certification program offers a rigorous path to perfecting and expanding technical skills.
For members who want to turn their passion into a profession, the Professional Development program offers mentorship, pitch sessions, and connections to a network of tech editors, stylists, and photographers—the full ecosystem that makes a designer’s work ready for the world. Many members make the journey from hobbyist to working professional through exactly these programs.
The numbers from CGOA’s Chapter Challenge stop you in your tracks. In just the last two years, members crocheted well over 2,000 items for national charities. Beyond that organized effort, many chapters crochet for local causes as a regular part of their community life. The hook, it seems, is as naturally generous as it is creative.
And nearly all of it runs on volunteer energy. CGOA employs a part-time administrator and a CPA. Everyone else—at every level—gives their time freely. CGOA was built on a volunteer vision more than 30 years ago, and that spirit is very much alive.
CGOA’s Hall of Fame places crochet firmly in the conversation about fine craft and contemporary art. Inductees—among them the legendary Ruth Asawa, whose sculptural work has graced the pages of Fiber Art Now—are chosen for their deep expertise and their commitment to honoring crochet’s history while pushing it forward.
That balance—tradition and innovation, community and individual voice—is at the heart of everything CGOA does. If you’ve ever wondered where to find your people, start here.
Learn more at crochet.org
Top image: Ally Clymore, master program reviewer, crocheted the Mackintosh Roses Shawl designed by Svetlana Tomina.
Cami Smith is the Fiber Art Now media manager, community engagement coordinator, and a mixed-media artist.
Subscribe today and get our current issue FREE. Plus, get instant access to 20 original ebooks and 12+ years worth of digital magazines.
Over 120,000 fiber artists connect with Fiber Art Now through our various platforms – and we want you to join us! Connect and get inspired by contemporary fiber arts around the world.
For the latest news, special offers, and exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else, sign up for our newsletter below!
