Earth, Hand and Fibre
Braamfontein, Johannesburg

Earth, Hand and Fibre

A crochet hook, a ball of yarn, and a community that grew from there. We teach skills, host gatherings, and give back, one stitch at a time.

See our work Partner with us
150+
people reached since our first meetup
2024
the year it all started
3
partner organisations we've collaborated with
Models walking at Earth, Hand and Fibre's crochet fashion show, wearing crocheted crop tops and skirts
Our first crochet fashion show, November 2024
How we started

It began with a meetup

In July 2024, the founder put a call out on social media: anyone who loved to crochet, or wanted to learn, was welcome to come together. A small group answered: strangers from the internet who showed up with hooks, yarn, snacks, and an afternoon to spare.

They played games. They shared skills. Beginners learned their first stitches from people who'd been crocheting for years. What started as one gathering has grown into Earth, Hand and Fibre: an organisation built around the same idea, that a shared skill can build a community, and a community can give back.

Today, Earth, Hand and Fibre is registered with the CIPC as an NPC, and is working towards NPO registration as well.

  • Odette Cecilia ChambalaFounder
  • Raesibe Kgothatso MphahleleCo-founder
  • Siyabulela BekwaCo-founder
Group from Earth, Hand and Fibre's first-ever crochet meetup, waiting at a Johannesburg street corner
What we do

Four things we keep coming back to

Skills development

A crochet lesson for beginners is part of every event we host, no exceptions. It's how we turn an afternoon out into a skill someone can take home, practise, and eventually earn from.

Sustainable fashion

Our fashion shows exist to change how people see crochet, challenging misconceptions about the craft while opening up honest conversations about fashion's impact and the biases woven into it.

Community & wellbeing

Picnics, meetups, and gatherings like Moments for Me bring people of every age together, to learn from each other, and sometimes just to sit in the grass and be looked after for a day.

Giving back

From our Beanie and Blanket Drive to donation drives for children's homes, we turn what we make and collect into warmth and supplies for the communities that need them most.

Our journey so far

From one meetup to a movement

July 2024

The first crochet gathering

A handful of people recruited from social media met up to crochet, share skills, and play games. This is where Earth, Hand and Fibre began.

November 2024

Our first crochet fashion show

An inclusive show, with different ages, genders, and backgrounds on and off the runway, built to challenge misconceptions about crochet and open up a conversation about colorism, closing with a documentary discussion.

March 2025

Our first crochet picnic

Open to crocheters and complete beginners alike, with a skills development session for anyone who wanted to learn on the spot.

June – July 2025

Beanie and Blanket Drive: the lead-up

Weeks of donation collection and community crochet meetups, with members and members of the public making beanies for Malaika Orphanage.

18 July 2025 · Mandela Day

Beanie and Blanket Drive: donation day

We delivered donated clothing, yarn, and hand-crocheted beanies to Malaika Orphanage, and spent the day doing activities with the kids.

March 2026

Our second crochet picnic

Held in a forest park setting, drawing attendees of every age, from young kids to elders, for an afternoon of skill-sharing that we count among our biggest successes yet.

April 2026

A mural with Greenpeace Africa

We taught Greenpeace Africa volunteers to crochet, and stitched their first pieces into a mural gifted back to the organisation that's supported us since the start.

8 August 2026

Moments for Me

A day of grounding and self-care in collaboration with Sankofa, closing, as always, with a crochet session for beginners.

Who we work with

Partnerships that have carried us this far

Greenpeace Africa

Has supported Earth, Hand and Fibre throughout our journey as a new organisation, from event collaborations to hosting our Beanie and Blanket Drive donation point at Ubuntu Hub, an organisation under Greenpeace Africa.

Mandela Day planning · Crocheted mural gift · Ubuntu Hub venue

Sankofa

Co-created Moments for Me with us, bringing sacral chakra healing and movement into a day otherwise built around crochet and community.

Moments for Me, August 2026

Ubuntu Hub

Our donation drop-off point in Braamfontein for the Beanie and Blanket Drive, and a venue that's hosted several of our community meetups.

163 Smit Street, Braamfontein

Where we want to go next

What funding would let us do

We've grown this far on volunteer time, small ticket sales, and borrowed venues. With funding, we want to take what's worked and reach further with it.

  • Run more skills development programmes for orphanages, kids from impoverished backgrounds, and public school learners who don't otherwise get exposure to craft skills that could become a future income.
  • Expand beyond crochet into other South African art forms, so more young people can find a skill that fits them.
  • Take our work beyond Gauteng into other provinces.
  • Build partnerships with organisations we admire but currently can't reach; distance and funding are the only things in the way.
Get in touch

Let's build something together

Whether you're a funder, a potential partner, or just someone who wants to learn to crochet, we'd love to hear from you.

Group moment from the Moments for Me event