Crocheting and coffee are the heart of Abbotsford’s newest business, which is set to open on Sunday (Nov. 30).
The Knotty Brew is a unique creation from the mind of Beatriz, who goes by Bea and is taking a big leap from her former career as a teacher.
This cafe combines a love for caffeine and crocheting, with these crafters being one of the fastest-growing communities.
According to a 2025 report by research company Technavio, the worldwide crocheting and knitting market is expected to grow by more than $10 billion (US) between 2024 and 2028.
With such a recent spike in interest, Bea hopes that this is the perfect time to launch her new business venture, which is the first of its kind in all of Canada.
The idea for this unique business was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is when Bea began exploring the art of crocheting.
“When I started crocheting, I really found this happiness in doing it,” said Bea.
The more that she did it, the more that she began to think that this could be the key to something more than just a fun hobby.
“Throughout my entire life, I’ve always been a big creator and enjoyed creating stuff,” she said. “I felt like I was always in search of my purpose in terms of what my passion is and what I would really enjoy doing with my time and my life.”
It was when she visited another themed coffee shop that she was inspired to turn her newfound love into a full career.
“It kind of clicked in that moment where I realized that it would be so cool to have a creative cafe,” said Bea. “I wanted to create a community where people could come together and create.”
@theknottybrewcafe Opening Canada’s First Crochet Café
With the idea of a crochet cafe firmly planted in her mind, she took to the internet to look for other similar venues that could inspire her own creation.
But to her surprise, there were only a handful of other similar places in the world, none of which were located in North America.
The opportunity to create Canada’s first-ever crochet cafe was something that really appealed to her.
It also apparently appealed to the public as well, with Bea and her team receiving a massive amount of positive feedback after announcing the project on social media.
“It’s been mind-blowing how supportive people have been,” said Bea.
“Whenever you’re starting something new, especially when it’s a vision or a dream, it can be kind of scary to bring it out to the public because you don’t know how people are going to react to it.”
In only two months, The Knotty Brew had already amassed more than 11,000 followers on Instagram, 1,900 on TikTok, and 200 on Facebook.
It’s not just the crocheting community that has been voicing its support, with Bea saying that knitters and other hobbyists are also expressing interest in the new cafe.
While the business is primarily focused on providing products for crocheters right now, Bea said that The Knotty Brew’s doors are open to all types of creatives.
“Right now, we do have some yarn that would be good for knitters, but hopefully in the near future, we’ll be able to provide tools for knitters and expand outwards with other hobbies,” she said.
Another service that The Knotty Brew is looking to add in the near future is themed after-hours workshops, such as sip ‘n stitch nights and movie nights.
The cafe has been looking for the right type of crocheting enthusiasts to lead these workshops, with Bea using her teaching background to help pick the perfect candidates.
“I think it’s so important to have a teacher who can really demonstrate the excitement of creating,” she said.
“A bad teacher can really make you hate the hobby or subject, but if you have a great teacher, you’re going to want to come back and do it again.”
In the meantime, the team at The Knotty Brew is focused on getting everything ready for the grand opening on Sunday, Nov. 30.
The cafe recently held its soft launch, during which it invited a small number of customers in to check out the new space for an hour.
This time was a major learning experience for the team and allowed them to work out a lot of the wrinkles before the official opening date.
“We’re almost three businesses rolled into one, so the amount of work it’s taken to bring up every single aspect of this business has been a lot,” said Bea.
She hopes that the crochet cafe is welcomed with open arms, not just for her sake or the sake of her team, but also for the other local vendors that the business helps support through the local seller program.
Bea explained that in exchange for a flat fee for the month, local vendors are able to get their products displayed at The Knotty Brew, with 100 per cent of the sales going back to the creator.
Some vendors have already taken advantage of this initiative, with The Knotty Brew having several crocheted purses from a Vancouver creator for sale on day one.
“We pride ourselves on being able to promote other local small businesses so they can also share their talents and get a chance to sell their items,” said Bea.
With the grand opening right around the corner, Bea said she and the rest of The Knotty Brew team are looking forward to welcoming everyone into their unique space starting at 9 a.m. on Sunday. The first 50 customers will even receive a free custom tote bag.
“We hope to create a community that can come together, be supportive of each other, be positive, and just be excited to learn, create, and craft.”
The Knotty Brew is located at 33723 Essendene Ave. and will be serving customers until 6 p.m. on opening day.