The life of Tran Minh Tung, 29, in Da Nang, became more colorful after taking up two hobbies – gym and crochet. Every day, after finishing his full-time work, the tall, strong and muscular man works out in the gym or ‘plays’ with balls of wool. 

For Tung, working out helps him become healthier and brings more energy, while crocheting brings peace. When he crochets, he can calm down, and feels the needle and every breath.

The images of cute wool products, crocheted by Minh Tung, have attracted millions of views on social networks. From colorful wool, he can create many lovely items such as hats, bags and animals.

Tung began learning crochet one year ago. The hobby began from a special promise given to his nephew. When the boy turned five years old, he was diagnosed with a serious disease.

“My nephew liked stuffed animals very much. He always put them next to him, or embraced them when sleeping. Of the lovely animals, he especially loved a woolen rabbit. So I promised to learn to crochet to create a room full of woolen animals for him,” he recalled.

“In late 2023, when I finished crocheting my first woolen product, my nephew passed away,” he said.

Though the nephew died, Tung did not give up crochet. He is grateful to the boy and always remembers his special promise, because it has helped enrich his soul.

Tung learned to crochet through videos posted on social media such as YouTube, TikTok and Facebook. For two months, he sat diligently with a crochet needle and balls of wool.

Tung was clumsy with his first few stitches. He made a lot of mistakes and his products were not beautiful. He encountered other problems. But he was not disappointed and decided to spend 3-5 hours a day to learn crochet.

In November 2023, Tung completed his first woolen rabbit, and gave it to his nephew, and received thanks and a smile in return.

Tung cannot remember how many items he has made from wool. He has a special passion for teddy bears – used as a character in the movie Mr. Bean. 

One day, Tung came up with the idea of posting videos sharing his habit on TikTok, and began receiving orders. The positive comments from netizens have energized and encouraged him to keep working.

Thanh Minh