Vimbai Jaricha picked up her first crochet hook when she was seven years old. Today she is the founder and creative director of Crochets 'n' Knits Villa, a Zimbabwean brand that makes handcrafted clothing, bags, jewellery and accessories.
Between those two points is a story of loss, faith and starting again.
Learning at her mother's side
Vimbai's love for crochet began at home. As a young girl, she would watch her mother knit and crochet, and she wanted to try it herself. That childhood curiosity never went away. Over the years it grew into a lifelong passion for yarn, fabric and making things by hand.
From hobby to engineering degree
Vimbai didn't just love textiles. She wanted to understand how they work. She went on to earn a BEng (Hons) degree in Textile Technology from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).
After graduating, she worked in textile manufacturing as a Production Manager. There she learned about production, quality control and how to run things efficiently. That experience still shapes the way she works today.
When everything changed
Then came the hardest season of her life. Vimbai lost her father. Just a month later, she lost her job. During that time, she went back to her hook and yarn. Crochet became her therapy. It gave her a place to heal, to think, to pray and to find some peace.
Friends and family started buying the pieces she made. Slowly, the craft that had carried her through her grief turned into a business. In time, it became her main source of income.
Old craft, new style
Today, Vimbai's goal is to take a craft that is centuries old and make it feel fresh and modern. She combines traditional crochet techniques with contemporary design and careful finishing.
Her engineering background gives her an edge. She understands fibres, fabric quality and how a garment is put together, and she brings that knowledge into every piece she creates.
Doors that opened
Her work has taken her to places she once only dreamed about:
- Finalist in the CBZ Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (2019)
- Featured in the Australian Crochet Guild Magazine (2021)
- Graduate of the ZimTrade Next She Exporter Programme (2025–2026)
- Selected for the Edgars Local Designers Initiative (2026), showing her crochet work alongside other Zimbabwean designers
Using her hands to help others
For Vimbai, success isn't only about her own business. She runs crochet training and shares basic business skills to help women and young people earn an income through their hands.
She is also a member of Caring Crafters, a group of women who make warm clothing and blankets for people in need in their communities, including orphans and the elderly.
More than a craft
Crochet has been many things in Vimbai's life. It was her comfort when she lost her father and her job. It became the work that puts food on the table. And now it is a way for her to lift up others.
Looking ahead, she wants to keep Zimbabwe's crafting heritage alive while taking crochet into new and modern spaces.
Shop Crochets 'n' Knits Villa
Every piece Vimbai makes is crocheted by hand in Zimbabwe, with the skill of a textile engineer and the heart of someone who knows what the craft can mean.
