Jacqueline M. Jackson learned to crochet at the age of 9 or 10, taught by her grandmother, Mrs. Willie Mae Saddler, and a close family friend, Mrs. Eunice Philips. In the early stages, her projects rarely turned out as planned—scarves became teepees, and hats sometimes looked more like finger covers.

Over time, Jacqueline began creating hats and scarves, eventually progressing to ponchos, shawls, sweaters, blankets, layette sets, swimsuits, cover-ups, and more. If she can see an item, she can usually create her own version of it—if not an exact replica. She learned to read crochet patterns from a coworker, Angela Thompson. Although she already knew the stitches, learning to read patterns opened the door to working with accurate stitch counts instead of relying on trial and error. She has also written and sold her own patterns to City Knits Yarn Shop.

For 20 years, Jacqueline served as the Goodfellow Doll Coordinator for her department, leading an effort to dress more than 100 dolls each year with beautifully crocheted outfits for the Old Newsboy’s Goodfellow Foundation. She also helped dress an additional 60 dolls annually for a chapter of the AKA sorority for approximately six years.

Jacqueline has operated her business, Simply Jai Crochet, for 26 years and hopes to continue sharing her craftsmanship for many more.