Life & Work with Sierra Miral of Torrance

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Miral

Hi Sierra, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I spent many of my hot summer days as a little girl nestled beside my grandmother on the couch, where I learned the art of crochet. My grandmother, who grew up in Germany during World War II, learned to crochet, knit, and sew out of sheer necessity; she taught me these skills because to her, they were essential.

My passion for crochet reignited around 2021, when I first saw videos of crochet plushies on social media. My grandmother had only taught me how to knit wearables, like scarves, and I had no idea how versatile crochet truly is. I made a blue velvet octopus and instantly fell in love with crochet again. I created an Instagram page with the username @sierras.stitches to share photos of my crochet journey with my friends. Before I knew it, my posts and videos went viral and people began messaging me to place orders. Within a matter of months, my crochet hobby became my small business. Similarly to how I started crocheting plushies, I saw a video of a crochet bouquet and knew I had to make one. I became obsessed with making crochet flowers. Today, crochet flowers are my signature – so much so, that I am releasing a crochet pattern book called Crochet Flowers on June 3, 2025.

Crochet has become my beloved source of stress relief. I have been given incredible opportunities because of crochet and have even used my business earnings to pay for my law school tuition. My life has truly changed due to crochet.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Crocheting was the easy part. Behind the scenes, I found it hard to learn how to be successful on social media. I had to learn what made posts go viral, how to make trending reels using specific audio, and how to take photos of my work. I opened my Etsy shop and learned about SEO (search engine optimization) so my crochet patterns could stand out against the many others available on Etsy.

In addition to being a small business owner, I am a 2L (second-year law student) at the UCLA School of Law. It is incredibly difficult to find enough hours in the day to complete homework, go to class, run my social media profiles, crochet orders, and of course, sleep! Sometimes it feels like I live a double life: I crochet mostly on the weekends and during the week, my focus is 99% on law school and 1% on crochet. However, crochet also doubles as a source of stress relief. I love unwinding at the end of a busy day and crocheting while watching mindless TV.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have crocheted ever since I was around 5-6 years old. Starting in 2021, I began making crochet plushies, also known as amigurumi. My signature plushies are sunflower cows.

After crocheting plushies, I discovered crochet flowers. I learned to crochet around floral wire, use hot glue, wrap stems, and create bouquets. I taught myself how to wrap bouquets and have sold over 100 since I began making them.

My shop, Sierra’s Stitches, is all about crochet flowers. I create patterns so other crocheters can learn how to make flowers. I also sell my products, which range from simple potted flowers and succulents to large bouquets and plushies. All of my orders are made-to-order, meaning customers can customize their order to their taste, including the flower types, yarn color, and wrapping.

I am most proud of my journey in how I have come from never once touching floral wire or making a singular flower, to now being known in the crochet community for making crochet flowers. This inspired me to write my book, Crochet Flowers, so my fellow crocheters can learn how to create beautiful flowers themselves.

How do you think about happiness?
This may be obvious, but crocheting makes me happy! One of my favorite things is seeing other crocheters share their work on social media and show off what projects they have made using my patterns. It baffles me that people all over the globe are using my patterns. My grandma would be so incredibly proud of me if she knew how I was spreading her love and passion for crochet through my work, and that makes me happy.

When I am not crocheting, I love spending time with my two pups, Kaleo and Makani. My adorable fur sons are a little over a year old and they are Shih Tzu brothers. They are adorable, goofy, and never fail to make me laugh. One of my other favorite things that brings me joy is trying new food places. I love sushi, Korean barbecue, and açai bowls.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sierrasstitchesstore.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierras.stitches/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sierras.stitches
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D8NS9M3J/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Image Credits
Photographer: Sarah Ainsworth