Meet Sama of Sharabeek Crochet

by Giuliana Salerno

I first met Sama and was introduced to Sharabeek at the Serve the Women’s fundraiser where she shared her art and taught children, adults and volunteers to crochet. Sama exuded a kind and empathetic presence, and welcomed myself and others into her space to assist and learn. Two weeks later, I met Sama at a cafe to learn more about her, and her passion for crochet. When she speaks of crocheting, her eyes light up. You can tell Sama is just as happy to have found crocheting as she is to share it with others. I felt grateful to learn more.

Sama is a journalist by trade but began crocheting during the pandemic. Since, she’s become the founder and creative behind Sharabeek, handcrafted crochet creations made with love and passion. Sama is also a refugee from Syria, having left her country in 2014. Over the last ten years, Sama has lived in Dubai and Istanbul but settled in Paris three years ago. Through these experiences, Sama, like many refugees, has struggled with depression being so far from her home country and family. In 2020, during the pandemic, she sought to find a hobby.

She felt homesick and thought about the Syrian traditions of handmade clothes and crafts, which reminded her of her relatives and family. She began crocheting and discovered that she felt closer to Syria and her loved ones while she crocheted.

“Sharabeek” is an Arabic word for tangled strings, thoughts or lines, and felt like the perfect name for her handmade crochet. Sharabeek is dedicated to the Slow Fashion movement, prioritizing health, sustainability and uniqueness. All products are handcrafted with passion by Sama, with respect to her customers’ health and the environment. Sharabeek is zero waste, uses natural and high-quality yarns and materials, and all products are recyclable and sustainably made. Additionally, each handmade product is one-of-a-kind, meaning the same pattern is never repeated. This came from Sama’s belief that each product should be unique like its owner, and such uniqueness should be celebrated. These values, rather than business or marketing, are what drive Sama, and what encouraged her to begin her online shop, mobile pop-ups, and workshops to share her crochet and its art with others.

Sama showed me photos of her crochet, worn by a multitude of people, in a variety of places. One especially stood out – a photo of a baby in a beautiful crochet cap, under a crochet blanket. Sama explained this family excitedly shared these photos from Italy, and when she sees them, she feels transported there. This transfer of positive energy is at the core of both Sama and Sharabeek.

There is symbolism in Sharabeek, the threads that connect her loved ones in Syria, to her crochet hooks in France, to the crochet products that are worn and loved by her customers and in their homes around the world.

Similarly to how Sama is able to enter a flow state when she crochets, letting the crochet carry her, she believes her customers are drawn to different items based on their own uniqueness. Sama encourages her customers to view and touch her products and choose which they feel most drawn to. You can do this at her next upcoming market on Saturday, December 7th from 14:30 to 17:30 at the Ibis Hotel.

Follow Sama at @sharabeek.crochet to keep up with her latest products, events and workshops. And, if you can’t join at a pop-up or workshop, you can find her and her products at her website, www.sharabeek.com