“My name is Joanne Nigro. I’ve lived in Brooklyn for about 60 years. I am presently a resident of Canarsie, but lived in Bensonhurst before I was married. I have three grown children, and five grandchildren.”
We are so excited to have this Brooklyn veteran as a featured vendor at our Holiday Market this Sunday!
We chatted with Joanne about her life and her crocheted creations:
Joanne: I am a NYC middle school math teacher. I recently retired and found that not having to plan lessons, grade papers, etc. left me with a lot of time on my hands. I’ve knit and crochet since I was 8 years old and always enjoyed creating gifts for family and friends. So I decided to try to combine my love of crochet with my desire to create in order to start a business.
GP: What is special about your creations?
Joanne: I use very fine thread that is imported from Turkey, Paraguay and England. I find the colors more varied than what I can purchase in the United States. And the threads seem softer to the touch. The beads are hand strung by me and crocheted right into the pattern. This takes a lot of time. Some of the more complicated pieces take over 6 hours to complete.
GP: Are you excited to sell your work in Greenpoint?
Joanne: Greenpoint is an up and coming, very trendy neighborhood. I think the residents will appreciate my work in ways that would not happen elsewhere.
See Joanne’s many beautiful creations on her Etsy Shop.