Hey there, I’m Joey!
I am a passionate fiber artist with a BFA in Fibers & Material Studies. Many years ago, I arrived to college as a doe-eyed youngster on the path to becoming a painting student. That is, until orientation day, when our tour guide showed us the yarn closet hidden away in the Fibers department. In that moment, I knew I found home. And, as it turns out, in more ways than one! That tour guide is now my wife, and together we live with our sweet tuxedo cat, Hairy Baby.
According to my ID, I live in Pennsylvania—but ask anyone that knows me and they’ll say I’m living in my own world. And to be fair, the real world can be a big and scary place—so sometimes that means needing to create your own space, real or imaginary, where you can feel safe and secure for a little while. For me, that’s Virkadia!
The idea for Virkadia began in 2021, when my wife, Dani, was diagnosed with leukemia. I had to close down my previous crochet pattern business in order to be her full-time caregiver. Over the next 2 years of her cancer journey, we spent a lot of time with each other, trying to be present in the moment. We slowed down our perception of the world, and made ourselves start appreciating the little things, like the feeling of the seasons changing.
Moments like a warm summer breeze turning into a crisp autumn wind, or the smell of fallen leaves giving way to the chimney smoke of winter’s first night—now that I noticed them, I was desperate to capture that feeling and keep it forever. So, when Dani received her bone marrow transplant and we had to live on the hospital’s campus for 3 months during her recovery, I brought along my yarn and began my first prototype!
For me, crochet has always been a meditative process—so it seemed natural to pair it with the concept of mindfulness and being fully present in the moment. I created the first map for Virkadia, an imaginary land with regions showcasing every season and dozens of biomes to encapsulate every vibe imaginable. Then, I created my own creatures to live there. Whether it's dressing up as a woodland creature or pretending to be a mushroom, our crochet creatures—like me—just want to surround themselves with the vibe of the season and have fun with it!
So for anyone else looking for a place to rest from the real world, we welcome you here. Every stitch you make is proof you’re still here, still in this moment and still dreaming and creating. Welcome to Virkadia!