That was a comment Norlena Nayan once received – and it ignited a spark in her to prove that person wrong.
Today, as the founder of Linanuar Online Store, she’s doing just that with her range of bags, hats and more. Beyond creating, Norlena also teaches crochet classes, sharing her knowledge with both the young and old.
For Norlena, 55, crocheting is more than just a creative outlet: it became her lifeline in 2010 when she had to resign from her job as an account executive to care for her youngest child, who was just a little over two years old.
“It was a tough time. We had housing and hire purchase loans to pay off and our six children were growing fast,” she told FMT Lifestyle, adding that it was a big adjustment going from double incomes to just her husband’s.
That’s when she turned to crocheting. She initially sold only crochet “kopiah” – skull caps worn by Muslim men during prayers – mainly to her husband’s colleagues. Later, she decided to take it one step further by starting a business.
Her “kopiah” business earned her a strong following. Soon she began churning out bags, blouses, and water bottle holders among others. With business steadily growing, she published an e-book on how to crochet the kopiah.
In 2016, she received a bulk order for 5,000 kopiah from Aman Palestin, an NGO. To fulfil the order, she rallied a group of fellow crochet artisans, mainly mothers with young children from the B40 community who were unable to work full-time outside their homes.
It marked the beginning of her mission to empower other women by helping them generate an income from home, something she remains passionate about.
Today, Norlena is also the chairman of Pertubuhan Jemari Crocheter Warisan Selangor (Crowns), an NGO with a mission to preserve and promote the art of crocheting.
Looking back, she shared that her love for crocheting first blossomed when she was about 12, having learnt it at school as well as from her friends and mother.
“I first used wooden sticks from a broom and raffia string to practice. Later, I saved enough of my pocket money to buy a needle and crochet thread,” she recalled.
Indeed, Norlena admits it’s hard to imagine how far she has come, especially after her business took a significant leap forward when she joined the Khadijah Artisans Mentoring Program (KAMP) last year.
The programme, a collaboration between Khadijah International Waqf (L) Foundation (KIWF) and Persatuan Pembangunan Artisans (PPA) provides craftswomen from low-income backgrounds with the guidance they need to succeed and support to increase their distribution channels.
Through the programme, Norlena said she has gained valuable insights such as how to package and price her handicrafts, in addition to the opportunity to network with other artisans.
Another highlight is having some of her products sold at PPA’s outlet in Berjaya Times Square, where they have received a positive response.
She shared that she also appreciates that 3% of their sales are channelled as waqf contributions to KIWF. “I enjoy helping others and this is another platform for me to do so,” she added.
Looking ahead with optimism, Norlena shared that she hopes to grow her business to a point where she can offer the women who support her a fixed salary plus other benefits.
More importantly, she remains dedicated to changing the perception that crochet handicrafts are old-fashioned. “I want people to see that crocheting isn’t just a thing of the past.”
Follow Linanuar Online Store on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. For more information, send a WhatsApp message to 011-11680322.
Read more about the Khadijah Artisans Mentoring Program and its artisans here.