Hooked on Crochet: An Introduction with Bonita Johnston

Freestyle Crochet for the Artist or Maker

Break away from counting knots and following patterns. Enter a whole new world of freestyle crochet. Artists may work with predetermined designs or may choose to “wing-it” depending on personal style and preferences. Instructor Bonita Johnston will demonstrate basic shapes, curves, and lines. She will walk attendees through the making of an eye using crochet. She will also share resources online and ways to continue the journey long after the workshop is over.

Attendees will learn the core skills for freestyle crochet beginning with basic knots on September 20 from 10 am to 1 pm, followed by learning how to make a menagerie of curves, shapes, and knots from 1 pm to 4pm. On September 27 from 9 am to 12 pm, attendees will use their skills to make 2-D designs including crochet scrumbles, crochet eyes, or projects of choice. Within the given hours, project completion will depend on attendee speed and the project chosen. It will feel like a knitting circle with tutors. The instructor and volunteer helpers will be available throughout to assist and encourage.

Event Details

Date: Sunday, September 20, and Sunday, September 27, 2026. Includes both sessions.

Time: September 20, 10am-4pm, and September 27, 9am-12pm

Location: VMOTA, 2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92106

VMOTA Members Workshop Fee: $80.  Non-Members Workshop Fee: $90. Members register now here! Non-members can register at 10 am on July 15

Materials: All materials are provided for participants.

This workshop is limited to 15 participants. Please use our contact page to be put on a waiting list.

Crochet Artist Bonita Johnston

Art has been part of my life since I can remember picking up a pencil. I have explored (and continue to explore) many mediums and subject matters. I am forever fascinated by texture and form, and I particularly respond to art that leans toward expression rather than realism.

Freeform crochet came into my orbit during covid isolation and strongly resonated with my early art education at USC where I focused on figures in drawing, painting, and printmaking. I have always painted and drawn figures and portraits, but the yarn spoke to me in new and exciting ways, different from paint or pencil. Freeform allows me to bargain with the yarn and delight in how the medium helps to determine the composition, pose, and expression.

My work has been featured in art shows throughout Southern California, including Brea Gallery Made In California, 2023, VMOTA Spotlight Gallery I See You, 2024, Escondido Art Partnership Textile Art Show, 2024 and 2025, Oceanside Museum of Art Fabulous Fibers show, 2025, and San Diego Art Guild’s The Art of Now: Pushing Boundaries at Union Hall Gallery, 2026.