My Favourite YouTubers

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I love YouTube. It's a fantastic resource for knitters and crocheters like myself who are looking for guidance on how to knit a new stitch, or how to crochet a hat. I didn't  discover the pure awesomeness of YouTube until a few years ago when I started following a couple of YouTube creators. 

It's also great fun to discover channels from creators who make videos about some of my other interests, such as history, pop culture and travel. 

Over time, I have found quite a few that I subscribe to and follow regularly. I know their upload schedule and watch their new YouTube videos every week, follow them on Instagram and/or Facebook and listen to their podcasts, if they have one. 

Some of my favourites aren't knitters or crocheters, or run a business like my own. But I love watching them and learning about their lives and adventures.

I am also going to be starting my own YouTube channel in 2023, and I'm looking for tips and tricks on how they make it all look so effortless. 

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Some of my favourites are, in no particular order:

Cathrin Manning:- Cathrin is fun, very industrious and creative (see her videos featuring handy woman Cathrin and you'll see what I mean). She's a natural in front of the camera, and places a strong focus on her mental well-being as well as her physical health. She's also very honest about her creative journey on YouTube - she does regular analytic reports showing her views, income, etc, and why her statistics are going up, or down.

Cathrin doesn't keep all her YouTube success secrets to herself - she shares her journey as a creative, what worked for her and what didn't. She also has two of the cutest fur babies ever. She just bought her dream home by a lake, and I love watching her while she renovates and decorates the home and grounds. If you are looking for a fun, self deprecating and very humble creative businesswoman to follow on YouTube I highly recommend checking out her channel. Be sure to check out her Instagram as well for even more awesomeness. 

Michel Janse:- Michel reminds me of Cathrin in a lot of ways. She's also a dog person, and extremely honest with her followers. She enjoys doing little DIY things, which inspire me as I am terrible at anything DIY that doesn't involve crochet or knitting. She often travels around the US and posts videos of her exploring her locales. She also has a very funny TikTok page. 

Shelby Church:- Shelby was one of the first creators I discovered on YouTube. One of my favourite cities in the world is Los Angeles, and at the time I started watching her videos she was living in Los Angeles. I loved watching her scooting around town. Now she is living in her hometown of Seattle. Not as interesting as Los Angeles (sorry Seattle people) but it is fun to see the city through her eyes. Shelby has two channels - her regular channel and her vlog channel. I must admit I spend more time watching her vlog channel. She has just started building pieces of furniture, which has been fascinating, and inspiring to watch. 

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Bella Coco:- this is one of the best channels for crocheters to learn new skills and discover new stitches. I have learnt so many different stitches from her. Anytime I have a new stitch I want to try, or a new technique I need to learn, this is one of the first channels I head to. She is also a fellow Brit, so it's lovely being able to learn with a teacher who uses the same stitch names as I do. Although, if you are more familiar with the American terminology she also gives information about those terms in her videos. She has left handed crochet tutorials, so it's the perfect channel for all crocheters. If you are a newbie crocheter, or have been crocheting for years and want to learn something new this is the channel to check out. 

Evelyn and Peter Crochet:- I love watching videos of crochet projects being created, and that is one of the best aspects of this channel. She has videos showing how to create her latest pattern. Her patterns are beautiful and simple to follow, but it can definitely be an advantage to be able to watch the creator of the design make her own item. She clearly loves being a crochet designer, and it shows on her videos and her social media accounts. 

TL Yarn Crafts: Toni is one of my favourite designers. She is so fun and down to earth, and a total pleasure to watch. Her enthusiasm and love for crochet is infectious, and you can't help but smile along with her. Her channel features lots of tips and tricks for new crocheters as well as more experienced crocheters. I'm loving her channel right now for the tutorials on Tunisian crochet, which I'm in the midst of learning. 

Tech Tip Talk:- if you are dipping your toes into releasing your own knitting designs into the world then this is the channel for you. I only discovered the channel fairly recently and so I am slowly making my way through the videos, but so far I am learning a lot about designing. The channel features two knitting editors who have a lot of experience and knowledge of technical editing. They regularly have live chats with designers who share their stories and their tips and tricks.  This is a channel that is chock full of amazing information for the novice designer as well as the experienced designer who is looking to upgrade their patterns and/or techniques. 

 

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Jonah's Hands:- this kid is so inspiring, it is a pleasure to watch him. He is one of the most amazing crocheters I have ever seen, and I follow a lot of crocheters. He always has a smile on his face, and I can't help but smile when I see him pop up on YouTube, or on social media. If you are looking for a channel that is inspiration from start to finish, check him out. 

Canva:- this is one of my favourite and most important sites that I use. I optimise it for so many things in my business that it quickly became an essential part of my business. It's also where I design my patterns. Although I use the site on a daily basis there is still so much to learn. They regularly add new things, and improve parts of the website and/or app. Checking out the YouTube page keeps me updated on new additions and improvements, as well as teaching me how to optimise the site more than I already do. 

 

Grimm Life Collective:- YouTube isn't all about knitting, crochet and business for me. I like watching it to chill out, and to learn something non business related. If you like pop culture and the weird and kooky side of Hollywood, then this is the channel for you. It is hosted by a couple called Michael and Jessica, both of whom love the dark and unusual. They regularly check out the sites where movies were filmed, where well known murders and hauntings have taken place, and tours of museums and sites of spooky significance. They don't show anything too gory or upsetting, but their videos are always fun and entertaining. 

Hollywood Graveyard:- This is a site that explores graveyards around the world, sharing the last resting place for famous actors, singers, historical figures and folks who helped to bring movies and television into our lives. While showcasing the person and their final resting place the narrator, Arthur Dark will talk about their lives and why they are/should be remembered. As the title suggests, the graveyards visited are mainly in the Los Angeles and California area, but there are also international editions. 

Brief Case:- I don't know why I'm fascinated by it, but true crime stories are very intriguing to me, and this is one of the best channels for it. Brief Case focuses on true crime stories from the past. They feature cases from around the world, although there are a lot from the US and UK. There is a brand new episode every week, and I always look forward to the new episode. The narrator explains the background before going into the event, and he explains it all very well making sure that it is all very easy to follow. 

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There are so many other fantastic channels on YouTube. I'll be adding my own channel to the mix in 2023, and I am so excited to get going. Feel free to subscribe if you fancy to my page. I am creating some awesome videos now that will be going up very soon. 

Do you have a favourite channel on YouTube, whether it be a creator, knit/crochet channel, or something else? Let me know in the comments. I'm always looking for new channels to add. 

Until next time.....