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When you hold a bebemoss toy in your hands, you see a cuddly friend ready to be hugged. But behind every stitch lies a story... one that I hope my little girl will tell her children one day, about how women who once thought they couldn’t work, couldn’t contribute, or couldn’t belong… found their way through yarn, hooks, and symbols.
From the very beginning, we worked with mothers from vulnerable communities, including many Syrian refugees. Some of them couldn’t read or write. Some didn’t speak Turkish, English, or even the same language as each other.
But you know what, crochet is universal; it just needed a new alphabet.
We began using symbols: X for a simple crochet stitch, A for two stitches together, V for an increase, or when you crochet two stitches in one
On paper, our patterns looked like secret potion formulas. On the table, we paired them with hand gestures. Soon, we didn’t need words anymore. A few funny hand gestures, making A V and X shapes with our arms, our fingers to count, and the women were able to crochet even the most intricate shapes and forms.
Over the years, we’ve refined this “symbol language.” I can not really remember if we borrowed this technique from someone or it is something we actually invented, but for sure, we made it ours. A playful, practical, and easy way to write the crochet instructions, now shared like a treasure among the women.
Each toy begins with what the crochet people call a magic ring and then is crocheted as a continuous spiral; rows of stitches that grow, one after another, into soft little shapes: a head, a belly, arms, ears. Some women specialize in crocheting these parts, filling baskets with tiny legs or ears. Others sit together to assemble the animals, joining the pieces into whole characters.
At the heart of it all is community. Women laughing, helping each other count stitches, showing newcomers with a patient smile how a spiral begins.
Once assembled, every toy passes through quality control before making its way to our warehouse in Connecticut. There, it waits patiently, like a little secret, until someone chooses it.
And when it arrives at your home, it carries more than yarn and stuffing. Each toy comes with a card signed by the woman who made it. For the artisan, it represents dignity, fair wages, and the pride of knowing her craft travels across the world. For you, it’s a reminder that toys can be more than playthings, ours are be symbols of resilience and love.
I like to say that at bebemoss, our animals aren’t just handmade. They’re hand-storied. Each one is a quiet witness to women finding strength, creating beauty, and building her future one stitch at a time.
Someday, I hope my daughter will tell her children: “These toys weren’t just made in a factory. They were made by women who turned yarn into hope.”
Explore our collection of handmade crochet amigurumi toys, ethical, meaningful, and ready to bring joy. Shop here
