I’ve been crocheting since I was a child, passing on my knowledge from generation to generation and from handicraft classes at school.

As I loved crocheting, over the years I began to deepen my knowledge and techniques.

Having already learned basic crochet techniques and having seen some friends making amigurumi, very nice little dolls, I thought it would be interesting and challenging to make one.

I researched its origins, the techniques, the materials used, diagrams, watched videos, read books and magazines, and got to work on my first amigurumi.

The name N’aninhas came from this first amigurumi, as it was used as a dummy for a child.

From then on, I haven’t stopped and I’ve been doing them since 2019.

The need to occupy my free time and feeling that this work served as therapy, challenged me to start the first project – N`Aninhas Gifts – with the aim of developing toys for children and adults in a sustainable, ecological and educational way.

In the initial phase of my project, I made amigurumi using diagrams and videos, thus learning and developing the techniques.

Later on, personalized requests came in, for example through photographs (people, animals), and I was asked to make the amigurumi in their likeness.

One day I accepted an invitation to take part in a craft fair and it was a very enriching experience.

Contact with the public and with other artisans challenges us to get to know other realities, other ways of working and techniques, and broadens our horizons. Since then I’ve taken part in several craft fairs, and whenever possible I intend to continue promoting my handicraft work.

Once the opportunity arose to have a little shop in the Santa Maria da Feira Municipal Market to market, publicize and promote my work, I thought that in addition to amigurumi, it was necessary to associate the sale of haberdashery products needed to make lace, knitwear and sewing items.