Crocheting is making a comeback. Once considered a pastime reserved for older generations, the craft has surged in popularity among the young seeking a screen-free creative outlet and a way to manage stress. Social media feeds are filled with small and colorful stuffed yarn creations, and craft kits have become one of the fastest-growing gift categories.
At the center of this resurgence is a Durham, North Carolina–based company that creates learn-to-crochet kits that teach beginners how to crochet in a fun and joyful way. Each kit includes pre-started yarn, a step-by-step video tutorial, and everything needed to create an adorable stuffed yarn creation—from bunnies and chicks to dinosaurs and foxes.
“Something magical happens when you learn a new skill,” said Justine Tiu, co-founder of The Woobles. “You feel this special blend of confidence and joy.”
That belief grew out of Tiu’s own experience. She was excelling as a UX designer but a promotion to manager shattered her confidence. To get her mind off work, she tried crocheting, piecing together YouTube videos and blog posts for weeks, making mistakes, and hoping for the best.
“With each tiny stitch, I started to feel like myself again,” Tiu said. “Learning to crochet reminded me that I could still learn something new. That I wasn’t stuck. That maybe I could figure this whole management thing out too.”
That rush of accomplishing something you thought was impossible is what inspired Tiu and her husband, Adrian Zhang, to launch The Woobles in 2020. The husband-and-wife team left their corporate careers with a fundamental belief: it’s never too late to learn a new skill.
The Woobles reaches Amazon customers searching for creative, hands-on gifts and hobbies.
What started in the couple’s garage has grown into a multi-national brand. Today, Tiu and Zhang oversee a team of more than 25 employees and operate out of an expanded warehouse in Cary, North Carolina. They reach customers through e-commerce and physical retail stores across the United States.
The Woobles began selling in the Amazon store to reach customers searching for creative, hands-on gifts and hobbies.
“Amazon has allowed us to scale quickly,” Tiu said. “From helping us with overseas freight to picking and packing orders to be sent to customers, Amazon relieves a lot of supply chain challenges for us.”
The company uses Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), which allows independent sellers to have Amazon handle storage, picking, packing, fulfillment, and customer service for their orders—at a cost that is 70% less than similar premium shipping options from other carriers. The Woobles also uses Buy with Prime on their direct-to-consumer website, offering Prime members fast, free delivery and easy returns when shopping at thewoobles.com.
The Woobles’ mission to spread the joy and confidence of learning something new extends beyond the product. The company built a Wooble Wagon that drives across the country to teach people how to crochet and add to a cross-country crochet project.
“If you can turn a yarn ball into an adorable penguin, what else might you be able to do?” Tiu said.