Crocheting is a craft that used to bring to mind your grandmother, sitting in a rocking chair, working with her yarn. Nowadays, it’s a young person’s craft as well, from clothes to blankets to stuffed animals. And for one Wisconsin teen, it’s become his way to not only quiet his mind, but give back to his home country.

Young prodigy, Jonah Larson, has wowed everyone from his parents to actress Drew Barrymore, with his unique crochet designs. But for Larson, who was born in Ethiopia, it’s a way to give back to where he came from. Larson was adopted by Jennifer and Christopher Larson when he was an infant. He started crocheting when he was 5, and began winning awards by age 6.

He started practicing his crocheting with dish towels, then moved on to harder items, like scarves and hats. By the time he began entering county fair contests, he was beating the grandmothers and bringing home the top prizes. He wrote his first book, “Hello, Crochet Friends!” when he was just 11, followed by “Giving Back Crochet” the next year. He started ‘Jonah’s Hands LLC’ where he teaches others to crochet, as well as ways to give back to the community using crochet.

Jonah Larson uses money earned from crocheting, as well as two books he has written, to help fundraise for projects in his birthplace of Ethiopia. Photo courtesy of the Larsons

His mom said that once he started getting noticed by the public, everything grew. “He’s gotten about 2,500 [orders] in the last two weeks,” she told Good Morning America. “Crocheting calms him,” Jennifer said. “His mind is normally very busy, but he’s crocheting.”

Everyone needs a little quiet time,” Jonah said.

Now at 15, his mom said the teen is ‘full of confidence.’ 

His love for crocheting and desire to help others has earned him wide recognition and helped him make a few new friends, most notably Drew Barrymore. In 2020, he became a correspondent on her talk show, and would help interview celebrities, as well as teach others to crochet. He typically spends his time on the show working on a project and will complete it by the end of the episode.

But it’s the sales from his pieces that he treasures, using that to fund projects in Ethiopia, including the Jonah’s Hands Library. He also joined with Roots Ethiopia to create Jonah’s Hands-on Science Lab there as well.

Jonah Larson uses money earned from crocheting to raise money for projects in his birthplace of Ethiopia. He has worked with Drew Barrymore, pictured here in one of Larson’s creations. Photo courtesy of the Larsons

Now he is working to build restrooms for the Teza Gerba School which houses the library and science lab. “The latrine project that I’m currently raising money for is more expensive than the science lab or library that I’ve already built. It’s more complicated because it involves plumbing, for example.”

To raise funds, he has auctioned some of his crochet projects, as well as receiving $5,500 from Barrymore. To donate, you can visit his GoFundMe. Jonah said he hopes that he can help people who want to pick up their crochet hooks and learn to love the hobby, either again or for the first time. “I hope they will pull their hooks out and keep this art going into the next generation.”

Sources: GMA | My Positive Outlooks