About Me

The Mission:

At the heart of Chunky Boy is a passion for accessibility. Crochet is one of the most accessible crafts to get started in. You can pick up a hook and a skein of yarn affordably, and numerous studies highlight the link between making things with your hands and positive mental health. Crochet has gotten me through some dark days; on those frustrating and confusing days, when life feels outside of my control, I can pick up a project and see the results of my hard work.

The best part of making the Chunky Boy is when someone tells me they haven't been able to crochet in years but can do so again with a Chunky Boy. My dream for the Chunky Boy is for hand pain while crocheting to be a thing of the past—no more wrist braces or waking up with stiff fingers.

The Story:

In a fit of boredom in 2020 during lockdowns, I decided to pick up beaded crochet. Curled up on my couch with a 1mm hook, sewing threads, and seed beads, I quickly experienced a level of hand fatigue and cramping I had never encountered before. I knew a handled hook would only provide so much relief, adding maybe a few centimeters to the tiny grip. Sure, it was thicker than the toothpick I was currently crocheting with, but that didn’t really solve my problem of wanting to crochet for hours on end without pain.

Being the ADHD hyper-focused nerd I am, I fell down a rabbit hole of PT and OT medical journals, searching for the thickness I would need for a repetitive-use hand tool. Armed with my research, I trotted myself down to the craft store, bought a block of polymer clay, and wrapped it around that tiny hook.

I was 29 at the time, and after using the very first Chunky Boy (named because my husband and I kept calling the first one a "CHONKY BOI"), I saw an immediate difference in both how long I could crochet and how comfortable my hands were. I realized that if I, a relatively young and able-bodied person, found this much relief, then surely there were others who needed one.

I started making them from polymer clay; my office was a card table in the closet of my guest bedroom, and demand outstripped what I could produce within six months. I also realized that the handle needed to be separate from the hook after many customers offered feedback that they only use a certain brand of hook. (As a Susan Bates girl, I completely relate.)

I shut down the website and spent six months figuring out how to mold silicone handles in my garage. My husband and I set a goal for when I would quit my day job after the relaunch. I hit that goal the very first day the Chunky Boy 2.0 came up for sale and gave my two weeks’ notice the following Monday.

A year later, we were once again completely outstripped by demand, and I began my search for a manufacturer. Come to find out, these are not easy to manufacture, and after years of working with engineers and learning more than I ever imagined I would about liquid silicone injection molding, we are finally in production!

The Owner:

I'm a small-town girl from Texas, currently living in a small town in upstate New York. I live with my sweet husband, Nick, and our fur baby, Arlo (a chihuahua miniature pinscher mutt we spoil rotten). Before starting the Chunky Boy empire, I did a bit of everything: I was a photographer for years, a paralegal, and had a million and two odd jobs in between.

I'm a massive bookworm and devour romance novels like it's my second job. Obviously, I love to crochet; I've always been crafty and creative, but crochet will always be my favorite medium. I'm self-taught and have been crocheting for about a decade now. My favorite thing is curling up with a period piece and a project. (I've seen every Jane Austen adaptation at least twice, and if you're looking for a recommendation, Sanditon is criminally underrated.)