Avery Tronson of Citizens Crochet brings a playful, ocean-inspired twist to fiber art, blending creativity, community, and a whole lot of joy. From fruit and whales to giant octopuses, their work invites us to see crochet as something sculptural, expressive, and delightfully unexpected.
What first drew you to crochet as a creative practice?
The fluidity in creation of crochet is precisely what drew me to this amazing art. I have been in art classes, and specifically 3-D art classes, as long as I can remember.
I’ve always been drawn to mediums like clay and papier-mache over wire for its buildability.
Crochet felt like an odd mixture of the two. And definitely a lot less messy.
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Was there a moment you knew you wanted to turn crochet into more than a hobby?
I was in a really dark place emotionally, and I truly believe that when you are feeling low, the best thing to do is reach out and try to help another person.
I started making custom projects for my friends and family and saw their eyes light up with their personalized and lovely new creations. That turned into going to markets and seeing people resonate with my work, and I finally said, why not chase that joy?
What’s the story behind the name Citizens Crochet?
Citizens Crochet means it’s crochet by the people and for the people.
Every product is stamped or stickered with the person who made it for you. The people behind what we do are what we want to connect with. When you support us, you are supporting good-paying jobs for incredible people in New England.
Where do you find your ideas when you’re dreaming up a new piece
You can probably tell, but I love looking to the ocean.
I grew up in Los Angeles and fell in love with the ocean. My dad taught me breath training from a very young age so we could free dive whenever we got the chance and see all of the amazing creatures Mother Ocean has to offer. I love the water and all of the amazing creatures that inhabit it.
What sparks joy for you when you’re imagining a new plushie or pattern?
Creating faces of the creatures is honestly so joyful. Pulling a final stitch into an embroidery mouth and seeing it come together never fails to make me giggle.
So much about how we see cuteness or expression in general is all in the face. You can make creatures look angry or joyful, confused or dazed, just by putting the eyes in a different place.
You start to create a story and passion behind the project and those moments are filled with such joy.
You’ve designed fruit whales and sea creatures—what draws you to nature and whimsy?
A lot is how I grew up. We would always go to the farmers’ market, and it was such a joy to meet and see all of the amazing vendors who give up their weekend to sell their goods.
I particularly loved the fruit vendors and skipped along, eating every raspberry we purchased before we got home. Mixing up my love of the ocean and my love of fruit just seemed natural. Plus, have you seen how cute they are in their little berry baskets?!
What role does play or experimentation have in your creative process?
Oh my gosh, everything is done at least 7 times before anyone outside of our company gets to see it. I am constantly working with yarn and creating little pieces and parts of projects.
Most of the experimentation is just seeing if I can pull the idea into my head into real life. From there, it goes into refining and pattern-making so my team and I can create the best pieces consistently.Â
How do you handle decisions during a project—do you plan or follow your instincts?
I’m getting better at planning, but I am a creative at heart, and that is a lot of flying by the seat of your pants.
So much of what I’ve been teaching myself is “done is better than perfect.” Sometimes the best way to figure out if a project is good or not is just to try. I would much rather gather information from a failure than have never done it at all.
Tell us more about your new beginner crochet kits.
Our beginner kits came out of my love of teaching.
Getting to see someone’s confidence grow as they learn a new skill is a priceless part of the human existence. I was a volleyball coach for many years until a particularly nasty concussion closed that chapter of my life forever.
Seeing a child learn problem-solving skills and become more sure of themselves was incredibly fulfilling. Now I try to bring that same love and care to our beginner kits.
How do you balance running a business with being a creative maker?
Having projects to myself! We pay everyone well here and what that means for plushies is some things are going to be too expensive to realistically produce on a mass scale.
I create projects that make you go WOW! And even though very few people could afford it, so many can get joy and wonder out of seeing what a crochet artist is truly capable of. That makes it worth it to me.
What’s the biggest lesson crochet has taught you about patience or persistence?
Just putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes you have no idea where you are going to end up, but you just have to keep moving forward. No matter how small or feeble the steps may be. You never know what joys await.
How does seeing someone hug or display one of your plushies make you feel?
I think it is so freeing and gratifying. There is so much horror and sadness in the world that it feels inescapable sometimes.
Finding respite in pure joy and seeing someone’s inner child come alight brings me to tears often and reminds me that joy is worth fighting for.
What’s been one of your proudest moments in building Citizens Crochet?
No matter what deals I close or how far we climb, just getting to see folks being a kid and enjoying silly little things feels priceless. In joy and enriching folks lives we are rich, and that is an incredible feat in itself.
What advice would you give beginner crocheters?
Get weird.
So many people make the same patterns made by the same five designers and there is just so much more you can accomplish with this medium.
Start thinking of yarn as clay and what you want to create in shapes. There is no limit to what you can make so you might as well try.
We’ve done a whole bunch of installs but most are temporary. Following us on Instagram @citizenscrochet is usually the best place to find out what’s going on and where you can see us!
Rapid-Fire Fun:
Favorite design you’ve made so far? Otis my giant octopus by far.
First-ever crochet project? A little Christmas stocking for my kitty.
Yarn color you’re obsessed with right now? Anything variegated or multicolored, I love seeing how different free-form color can add to a piece.
One word to describe your creative spirit? Grateful.
Interview published March 2026
Browse through more crochet projects and inspiration on Create Whimsy.