The team
Real people, real hooks, needles, hoops and machines.
Everything on Hobbify is written by one of five people — a lead for each craft, plus Jo who founded the site and edits the lot. We test every course ourselves, buy the equipment we recommend, and argue (politely, mostly) about which beginner hook is actually the best.
Jo Reeves
Founder & editor
Hobbify's founder and editor. Writes the cross-craft comparison pieces — which craft is easier, which to start with, and whether you really need the £400 sewing machine.
Read Jo’s guides
Maya Okonkwo
Crochet lead
Crochet lead. Taught herself in lockdown from a TikTok video and now writes the beginner guides she wishes she'd had.
Read Maya’s guides
Iris Blackwood
Knitting lead
Knitting lead. Learned from her grandmother at eight, forgot it for thirty years, picked it back up during a difficult winter.
Read Iris’s guides
Priya Sharma
Embroidery lead
Embroidery lead. Textile design graduate who spent five years teaching embroidery in Manchester community workshops before joining Hobbify.
Read Priya’s guides
Tom Wainwright
Sewing lead
Sewing lead. Twelve years in theatre wardrobe before he became a full-time sewing teacher. Knows far too much about domestic machines.
Read Tom’s guides
Ready when you are
Ready to start something new?
Pick a craft and we'll hand you off to the right person, the right course and the right kit.