In 12 episodes dedicated entirely to crocheting, you’ll see who gets to call themselves Haakster 2021. We’ve had three great seasons so far. The fourth is just around the corner and promises to be a huge celebration! We’d like to introduce you to the partygoers.
Angela Dijsselbloem
: “Finally, I get to introduce myself! I’m Angela, 58 years young, married, and the mother of two sons. I handle the bookkeeping for my husband’s business and take care of our family. I have one great passion: crafts, including crocheting. For me, it’s a way to relax, explore, and learn—and to share that with others. Back in the day, I used to do filet crochet for curtains and round tablecloths. Now it’s scarves, Amigurumi, and clothing. I used to go to ’t Weverke with my mom to buy yarn and take workshops. The owner, Ans, was always so enthusiastic. Thirty years later, a colleague told me she buys her yarn at ’t Weverke. When I heard that, I went back to the store, and it felt just like it used to. Ans was still there, too, and she recognized me. I hope to learn how to create patterns through this contest and to share my passion with like-minded people. I can’t wait.”
Ellianne van Heemskerk - Klop
“My name is Ellianne van Heemskerk-Klop, and I’m 26 years young. I really enjoy working as a nurse in the pulmonary ward at the hospital in Tilburg. When I graduated from college a few years ago, I couldn’t imagine what to do with all that free time now that I no longer had to write a thesis. I started knitting back then (which is still a work in progress), but soon discovered crocheting. I haven’t really stopped since, and my sister and I go through quite a few kilometers of yarn together. I take my crochet projects with me everywhere I go. And I’ve discovered that collecting yarn is a hobby in its own right. You can find many of our crochet projects on the Instagram account @liefs.van.zus. To me, the best part of the contest seems to be finding new collaborations and getting to know other Haaksters to make crocheting even more fun.”
Evelien van Maurik
: “Hi, I’m Evelien. I’m 37 years old and just moved to the village of Hedel. I live here with my husband Rik and our sons, Thomas, who’s 5, and Casper, who’s 1. During the day, I work as a program producer for public broadcasting, and in the evenings, once the kids are in bed, I love to spend my time crocheting. I started crocheting when I was pregnant with our oldest. I thought it would be fun to crochet a little blanket, but I started with a YouTube video that—in hindsight—was way too difficult. Still, I’d caught the crochet bug, and after watching some more beginner-friendly videos, I never stopped. I think it’s super cool that I get to participate in Haakster. I hope I can push my limits with new things I’ve never done before. I’m super curious to see where my creativity will take me!”
Iby Hokke - Lammers
“I’m privileged—and let’s be honest, sometimes not so much—to be a full-time mom to Noud (3) and Soof (0) and married to their dad, Marlo. When I gave birth to Noud in 2017, after 28 weeks of pregnancy, I started crocheting to pass the time in the hospital and take my mind off things. It became a real outlet, and it still is.”
I wouldn’t dare say what I like to crochet best—I especially enjoy the variety. So far, I’ve crocheted all sorts of things: Blankets, mandalas, bags, clothing, and Amigurumi. Almost always following a pattern, and usually even in the specified colors. Because I want to discover what my own style is and whether I have what it takes to write my own patterns, I’ve signed up for Haakster 2021. During the competition, I hope to figure this out and continue to develop my skills.”
Ina Kamsteeg
“I’m a mother of four (teenage/young adult) children, married to Ard, and I work as a remedial educator and play therapist. I’ve had my own practice for six years. Ever since I was young, I’ve enjoyed being creative. Luckily, we still had a separate arts and crafts teacher at school, but I learned most of what I know by watching my grandmother. She was always busy embroidering, making lace, knitting, and doing all sorts of other things you can’t even imagine. Ten years ago, I saw a cute crocheted cuddly toy in a store and wanted to try making one myself. Ever since then, I’ve been completely hooked on crocheting, and I spend just about every free evening on the couch working on a crocheting project. I love crocheting for others, and I’ve already donated and given away quite a few cuddly toys and blankets.
"I hope that the Haakster will once again inspire me to come up with new ideas and my own designs, and that it will also motivate others to take on fun projects."
Lotte Vermeij
“Hi, everyone! I’m Lotte, 37 years old, and I live in Enschede with my husband, daughter (4 years old), and cat. I really enjoy working as a Dutch teacher. About 10 years ago, I started crocheting after a colleague told me I’d probably enjoy it. She was absolutely right! I’ve always had creative hobbies, but crocheting is the one I enjoy the most. I love relaxing with some crocheting after a day at work. Seeing which colors go well together, picking out the yarn, chaining up the starting chain—I enjoy the whole process. I’m excited that through this contest I’ll get to meet other Haaksters who love crocheting just as much as I do. I also hope to challenge myself with different techniques and by writing patterns. I’m really looking forward to all the assignments and the results!”
Monique Vermaat
“My name is Monique Vermaat, and I’m 60 years old. Last year, after working for nearly 40 years as a guidance counselor and assistant principal at an elementary school, I decided to stop working. Life has more to offer than just work, and now I spend my time on all the things I barely had time for during those 40 years. Crocheting is my favorite thing to do. You’ll find me every day with a Crochet Hook in my hand. I started crocheting in 2013 and haven’t stopped since.
I thought it would be fun and challenging to enter the “Haakster of 2021” contest. I looked at all three past editions of the contest. The enthusiasm of the participants and the beautiful pieces they created motivated me to want to join. By participating, I want to improve my (crochet) skills (working from a prompt, vlogging, photography, creating patterns, and presenting them).”
Ramona Coenen - Van Ratingen
“Hi, I’m Ramona Coenen, 39 years old, and I live in Merkelbeek with my husband, my 12-year-old daughter, and our dog Billie. I recently started working as a sales associate at a bakery, and I also spend a lot of time with my family and on my hobbies, including, of course, crocheting. My grandmother passed down her love of crafts to me; as a child, I was fascinated watching her turn a ball of wool into something beautiful time and time again. I wanted to do that too, so I later taught myself using videos on the internet. I’ve been crocheting for about 11 years now, and I still find it one of the most enjoyable things to do because it lets me express my creativity. I was so surprised when I heard I could participate in this contest—I see it as a big challenge and adventure, and I’m really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, my grandmother is no longer with us, but I’m sure I’m making her proud by participating in the Haakster contest!”
Renske Visschers
“I’m 30 years old, live in Doetinchem, and work in elementary education. That’s me! In my opinion, being a teacher is the best job there is. For me, this job combines two things that make me very happy: working with children and being creative. No two days are the same! So it’s no surprise that this led me to discover crocheting. I have a hard time sitting still. I love making things. A colleague of mine noticed this too; she wanted to learn to crochet and asked me if I’d be interested. OF COURSE! I was immediately enthusiastic, and after watching lots of videos and making plenty of mistakes, we taught ourselves. Not a day goes by without a Crochet Hook.
"Through this competition, I hope to challenge myself and find out if I can actually bring my ideas to life. That's what I'm looking forward to the most."
Yvonne van Zijl
“Who am I? I’m Yvonne, 59 years old. I’m married and have two beautiful daughters. I’ve been looking for work since December 2020. Before that, I enjoyed working as a flight attendant for 31 years.
I learned to crochet by watching YouTube videos. At first, I only used yarn from the thrift store, so it didn’t matter if I messed it up. Crocheting became a passion for me in 2019. I started testing patterns and, every now and then, I wrote my own. For me, crocheting is a creative outlet.
“At one point, when I was crocheting a lot of baby items, my daughter asked if I was trying to tell her something. By participating in Haakster, I hope to push my limits when it comes to crocheting. What can I and can’t I do? Maybe I’ll even land a fun, crochet-related job out of it?”
Will you be watching the first episode of Haakster 2021 on September 10? You can find the episode on the Yarnplaza YouTube channel. See you then! :)
