FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Look for basic yarn; a solid colour is best to begin learning, so you can see the stitches and understand how the yarn is being manipulated with the crochet hook.

Do not use animal-based fibres as they can be tough to pull out your stitches and increase your frustration in learning to crochet.

Look for 100% acrylic or a blend of cotton/acrylic yarn.

Brands like Red Heart Super Saver, Bernat Super Value and Caron One Pound are staple brands that have lasted decades and are reliable for learning to crochet.

Look for information on the yarn ball band indicating the weight of the yarn and recommended crochet hook size.

The best sizes for learning are 5 mm / H/8, 5.5 mm / I/9, or 6 mm / J/10.

Mikey uses generic crochet hooks from Amazon. These hooks have no brand associated with them and are relatively cheap for an entire set.

Several reasons why he prefers these hooks come down to design.

These hooks are 6.5" long and longer than typical crochet hooks. When he holds them, they extend past the palm of his hand and don't dig in to create calluses.

The flat thumb grip perfectly orients the hook as you look away, whether talking to others, watching TV, or distracted by what is happening in the room.

Due to the cheap price point, losing a hook is not a big deal other than inconvenient. He recommends buying three kits at the same time in case you lose hooks.

The moulded tips at the end are smooth and don't jab into your yarn-feeding hand as you collect loops. With the moulded tips, you are less likely to split plies of the yarn, which can slow you down.

The hook type makes all the difference if you are slower in crochet. Try testing different brands. This particular type of hook has been a consistent hook for Mikey over the past six or more years.

While Yarnspirations sponsor Michael, the relationship is easy, as they are a natural selection for him when choosing a yarn to crochet. His choices are based on accessibility and childhood nostalgia for yarns that he has come to trust and enjoy.

Bernat Yarn is originally Canadian and was in Canada long before Red Heart. Michael used it for years, even before The Crochet Crowd was developed. The colours and affordability were on point for his budget.

Bernat Super Value is Michael's first medium #4 ply yarn choice.

Bernat Premium is an upgrade from Bernat Super Value if you want premium-level acrylic yarn instead of the original Bernat Super Value yarn.

Bernat Blanket is the number one choice for thick blankets that are very quick to make due to the #6 Super Bulky yarn, using a large crochet hook.

Red Heart Yarn came onto the market through Walmart in Michael's region. Bernat Super Value, at the time, was still cheaper than Red Heart Super Saver, and the automatic default was Bernat Super Value. There is a marketplace for all different levels of yarn.

Red Heart Super Saver is America's number one yarn. It has its place, and Michael uses it often due to its affordability and colour options.

Red Heart With Love is an upgrade from Red Heart Super Saver. With premium-level yarn, it's a winner each time you create something.

Red Heart Roll With It Melange is a favourite for a roving type of yarn for hats, scarves, clothing and more. The colourways are addictive and fun to crochet with.

Red Heart Super Saver Ombre is so much fun to play with to see the colours transition.

Red Heart Super Saver Bitty Stripes is just incredible. It's a winner each time you make something with it.

Red Heart Scrubby is designed to scrub dishes without retaining water. It is the best product for washing my shower, sinks, and tubs during dreadful cleaning days.

Caron Yarns came into Michael's life when Spinrite Yarns, aka Yarnspirations, purchased Caron Yarns.

Caron One Pound is a constant use for Michael. It is thicker and has the same yarn grade as Bernat Super Value. It holds up well to general wear and tear, especially with pets.

Caron Cakes and extension brands are so much fun to watch the stitching journey unfold. Of the Caron Cakes brands, Caron Cotton Cakes are his number one choice.

Patons Yarns, a North American brand, offers more yarn than the above brands. There is also Patons, which is European-based, but Michael doesn't use any of those brands. They are not the same company.

Patons Grace is a mercerized cotton that is amazing for wearables due to its drape, material, and colour options. It is excellent for doilies and delicate lacework.
Patons Kroy Socks is terrific for shawls, socks, and other fine wearables.

Lily Sugar'n Cream is a 100% cotton brand. It is the best choice for wearable projects and places where heat is an issue, as cotton naturally wicks heat away from bodies. It's the only choice for the kitchen for dishcloths, hot pads, pot holders, tea towels, placemats, and cleaning applications like Swiffer cover toppers.

Lily Sugar'n Cream Original is the only choice. It comes in different sizes and colours. Extension brands like Lily Sugar'n Cream Scrub Off mix poly materials for better scrubbing action.

Michael doesn't currently use the mainstream retailer's private store-labelled yarn. He cannot offer an opinion to those as he doesn't use them to give them first-hand opinions.

The premium-quality yarns are made by smaller manufacturers and hand-dyed by locals. All the suggestions are good choices, and Michael has each of these yarns in his independent yarn collection. He uses most of them for personal use, as they are extra special. These are a few of his favourites that he trusts, in no particular order:


Madeline Tosh - Nevada, USA
Briggs & Little - New Brunswick, Canada
Hand Maiden - Nova Scotia, Canada
Wool & Wanderlust - Nova Scotia, Canada
Taproot - Nova Scotia, Canada
Fleece Artist - Nova Scotia, Canada
Malibrigo - Uruguay
Quviut by Musk Ox Farm - Alaska, USA
Yarn Indulgences - New Brunswick, Canada
For the Love of Yarn - Scotland)
Yorkshire Spinners - British
The Yarns of Richard Devries - Ontario, Canada
Gobsmacked Yarn - New Brunswick, Canada

In 2013, Michael free-formed the crochet blanket below, using Bernat Mosaic yarn scheduled for discontinuance without his knowledge. He could not effectively write patterns, and this one-of-a-kind sample remained in his collection of finished blankets.

In 2016, there was always a summer gap for crocheters to engage in stitching actively. He revisited the idea to see how far his skills had been pushed. He wasn't ready and had to sit back and let a couple more years pass.

The first was the Crochet Study of Texture Blanket, launched in 2018. It paved the way for new designs using texture. Writing out the patterns was complex initially, but it got easier as the years passed.

During the first creation, Michael watched a documentary with Daniel about studying berries. He looked down at his lap and realized he was learning different stitches together. Right from that moment, it became the 'Study of' series.

In 2021, Michael finally learned how to draw crochet diagrams on a computer in a magazine-quality way, further advancing the designs.

The rest is history, and by 2025, about 20 blankets had been developed under this series. Check out Mikey's Study of Crochet Blankets.

The original from 2013 is below. It's free-formed and cannot be duplicated efficiently to make it a real pattern.

Mikey is an 'everyday crocheter' who likes to crochet home decor. While he loves texture in stitchwork to relieve the boredom of the same stitch for the entire project, he doesn't get too fancy that every step is a mountain to climb.

He specializes in teaching beginners to intermediate-level crocheters and believes today's beginner is tomorrow's easy crocheter. He provides the life tools to experience the craft and move forward.

There always has to be someone at the ground level to introduce the hobby; he enjoys that the most. Due to the speed and need to crochet daily, he prefers everyday and value-oriented yarn the most. Yarns like Red Heart Super Saver, Caron One Pound, and Bernat Super Value are his go-to yarns.

No. Mikey is not married and has been partnered with Daniel Zondervan since 2009.

He has been married before, and the divorce process was rough. It's a self-promise to himself not to repeat the same mistake of being married. He realized he could be loyal without the paper commitment and needed to see a judge to solidify a relationship.

No. Mikey has only been with one woman, who turned into years of marriage. It was biologically impossible for children to exist.

While it was discussed about adopting children, the option was costly and a journey neither person wanted to endure. Before Mikey turned twenty years old, it was decided that having a life without children would be the best path.

Looking back to the 1990s, when the decision was made, it is still the best answer. Having ensured a divorce, acknowledging homosexuality and having two serious relationships that have collapsed, dragging children through the emotional trauma, it was best to go the path alone.

In 2025, Michael and Daniel have four house pets.

They have two great Pyrenees, PuppiDawg and Salti. They are not related to each other and are from a farm.

Puss Puss and Binky Boo are their cats. They were both adopted from the SPCA, although they are not related.

They also have some livestock, such as quail and bantham chickens. The eggs from the quail are used for the dog's food, and the eggs from the chicken are used for dog food and Daniel's cooking.

Yes. Mikey's coming-out story is complex. He was terrified of coming out of the closet, so he chose a different path that led to a double life of trying to deny.

He came out in 2000; there were no role models to whom he could aspire to figure out how to act, live, and function. It was messy and precarious. Required counselling.

Upon starting YouTube, he planned on keeping it a secret, though he was putting himself back in the closet, speaking. He was too far out of the closet to put on a fake facade. He had to come out of the closet a second time and deal with it head-on with strangers who pass judgment and others who offer support.

Gay culture has its own humour, story, and interactions. It doesn't always translate in a straight culture and can create division.

While Mikey and his partner, Daniel, are out of the closet, neither is an activist. They have not attended Pride Parades since 2003. They function without being immersed fully in gay culture. Most of their friendships are with straight people.

Mikey is currently in Nova Scotia, Canada. He lives in the Annapolis Valley region with the Bay of Fundy within minutes away from their home.

Mikey is originally from Ontario, Canada. He moved around a lot as a child and as an adult. It's not military-related, but his parents moved each time the work dried up. His parents didn't accept being without work and made bold moves to uproot the family and keep moving on.

In 2017, Daniel and he decided to make a significant move. They decided to move to Nova Scotia, Canada, for a new, fresh start. All of their belongings, with the exception of clothes and select furniture, were given away before the main move to begin a new life.

Mikey is in Canada. He broadcasts from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is Canadian.

No, he's merely sponsored by Yarnspirations, which partially helps fund everyday business costs such as tutorials, patterns and more.

He does not impact the types of yarn made, colours or where the products are placed online or in-store. He's not part of any of these conversations. If you have thoughts about this, you can contact Yarnspirations directly to explore your points of view.

He has no access to any information or systems behind the scenes related to Yarnspirations. For any concerns you may have, all consumer inquiries must go directly to them.

Mikey is exclusive to Yarnspirations as the founding source of yarn usage and patterns that he can use other than his own for teaching purposes. His views on products, events, life circumstances, and more are his own, as his voice and online presence do not represent the opinions of Yarnspirations.

Like many educators, he steers his own ship based on what he believes his community wants the most. He is not obligated to share or like a product because of sponsorship. He's allowed to be objective, but he personally believes not to trash a product because it doesn't suit his personal taste.

Mikey doesn't use store-brand yarns or have any experience with them, as he's been using Yarnspirations brands for his entire career as a teaching resource. With so many brands from Red Heart, Bernat, Caron, Lily Sugar'n Cream and Patons, a yarn is always right for the project: so many choices, so little time.

Mikey lives an hour earlier than Eastern Standard Time in the Atlantic time zone. In reference to New York, it's an hour earlier.

He primarily works business hours and tends to wrap things up by 6 p.m. On the West Coast, it would be around 2 p.m.

Many questions can come in after he is done for the day, especially from different time zones. People will send a second or third email, getting frustrated with the lack of response. They are not realizing his time zone. It's common for him to wake up in the morning, and late-nighters from the West Coast haven't gone to bed yet.

He works pretty much every day in some capacity. Being self-employed, he's worked far harder than for others. There is always something to do, create and/or fix.

Mikey's right-hand lead is Wendy. She has worked with Mikey for years and works without being told what to do. She's intuitive and understands the community probably better than Mikey does.

His partner, Daniel, controls the crochet cruise events and is also part of the inspiration and pushing concepts.

Karen, his neighbour, is in charge of land events as of 2025. It's a ton of work, and she is passionate about organizing and putting together a significant plan to make it happen.

Mikey contracts out the travel agent(s) to put together events, whereas working with cruise ships or directly with a hosting location requires extensive travel logistics that require a licensed travel agent to do the work.

Notable others:
He also works directly with sponsors and meetings related to content-building.

He has financial advisors to ensure that Mikey's budgets are accurate.

He communicates with three website hosting service companies.

He also has a YouTube representative who occasionally meets to set goals, update, and offer advice. Due to his level on YouTube, he was automatically assigned a representative; he didn't request that; it just happened.

Communications with any of these people are typical within Mikey's working hours, so he's not 100% available on a whim to answer consumer questions, engage in social media, and/or produce tutorials. There's a lot to juggle.

Industry professionals use Adobe Illustrator to draw crochet diagrams. Mikey learned to use the program over several years before being able to do it proficiently.

All symbols are hand-drawn by Mikey, who manipulates the shapes using copy-and-paste techniques to create rows and rounds.

With the Adobe subscription, operating his business and design capabilities is a monthly expense.

Michael and Daniel had a working friendship with an executive from Swaroski Elements in the USA. She shared how they would take their ambassadors on a cruise to educate them about the product so they would all learn simultaneously while having a vacation together.

She shared how they arranged the cruise with their group, the minimum number of people needed, and more. This paved the way for a new type of event that didn't need an event host to assemble an event, but were Michael and Daniel doing the legwork to make it happen?

A year later, they opened up bookings to start the Crochet Cruises. Michael received a direct email about taking over the concept of crochet cruising from an event host who was already doing it. The host wanted him to be a teacher, not produce the event itself. It didn't land well, and the motion to continue making the event was a full go.

On an official cruise with guests, they ran their first crochet cruise in 2014. It kick-started the year, after year, crochet cruises hosted by Mikey and Diva Dan. It was paused during COVID in 2020 and 2021. I was set to retire and announced my retirement to end Crochet Cruises in 2022.

To Michael's surprise, the sponsor wanted it to continue, and it was reactivated again in 2024 with sailings commencing in 2025 and beyond.