Our First Workshop with Gong Cha New Westminster Station

We are so happy to share that Itoma’s very first workshop came to life through a lovely invitation from Gong Cha New Westminster Station.

For this special collaboration, we hosted a Crochet Cotton Scrunchie Workshop, where participants could choose their favorite color combination from 10 cotton yarn colors and create their own handmade scrunchie.

In the days leading up to the workshop, we spent time preparing the materials, organizing the yarn colors, and making sure everything was ready. Since this was our first workshop, we were honestly a little nervous on the day of the event. But as soon as everyone arrived, the warm and cheerful atmosphere helped us relax. Seeing everyone enjoy the process made the whole experience so special for us too.

One of our favorite moments was choosing color combinations together. Each person had a different sense of color, and it was so fun to see how everyone mixed and matched the yarns in their own way. Some chose soft and gentle shades, while others picked bright and playful combinations. Each scrunchie started to feel personal even before the crocheting began.

Many of the participants were trying crochet for the first time, so we took the process slowly, one step at a time. We practiced how to hold the hook, how to make stitches, and how to build the scrunchie around the hair elastic.

Because crochet takes time, especially when it is your first time, it was difficult for everyone to finish the full scrunchie during the workshop. But more than finishing perfectly, we hope this workshop became a small starting point. We hope everyone could feel the joy of making something with their own hands and continue enjoying that quiet creative time at home.

As our first workshop, there were definitely moments where things felt a little busy, and there are areas we would like to improve, especially around timing and flow. But we were so grateful to receive warm feedback from the participants, and we were happy to hear that everyone enjoyed the experience.

This workshop taught us so much. We will carry everything we learned into our future workshops and continue creating spaces where people can slow down, make something by hand, and connect through craft.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us, and to the Gong Cha New Westminster Station team for inviting us and making this collaboration possible.

Thank you for being part of Itoma’s very first workshop.