A Turkish woman living in Dublin has left her pre-pandemic life behind to pursue her passion and start a new business - handcrafting crochet dolls, including a new range for St Patrick's Day.
Arzu Gorbil, a dual Irish-Turkish citizen, founded her online business 'The Crochet Dolls' in October 2020.
She had lost her job and saw an opportunity to get creative.
She said: '‘I used to work as an accommodation officer, placing international students with Irish host families. As there were no students coming, there was no job for me. I became so bored that I decided to turn my hobby into a business.'’
Arzu, who moved to Ireland in 2011, said she grew up in a culture where crochet was part of her daily life.
"I started to crochet small things as a child. My mum, aunties and grandmother all know how to crochet," she explained.
Her twin girls, Zeynep and Elif, are the "inspiration" for all her products, including several new dolls created for St Patrick's Day.
'‘All the dolls bear Irish names. I named one Paddy, I named another Erin and there is also Fiadh. I work with a group of women in Turkey who put their love into each one of them. We believe every child should have a handmade doll. They are perfect keepsakes, and can serve as companions, aiding a child's development.'’
Arzu says her family is looking forward to the St Patrick’s Day festivities after a two-year absence.
‘‘St Patrick’s Day means Irish culture to me. I’m looking forward to the parades. We generally as a family dress in green. We get the kids clothes and some accessories every year. It’s always a fun and joyful day.’"
