Meet Adelaida Guia, the Crocheter Behind Baguio's Giant Mandalas

Almost everything we do takes time and practice – including crocheting. This intricate art can be overwhelming because of unending loops, threads, and designing patterns.

But as you go along and embrace your handmade creations, you might just discover the fun and relaxing aspects of crocheting. This is the story of Adelaida Guia, a crocheter who lives in Baguio and believes that hook and yarn are innately glued to her.

In an interview with The Beat Asia, Adelaida shared her story of dreaming big and the joy she derives from crocheting.

Early Life and Family

Adelaida was just a child when she learned this delicate needlework from her mother, who is also a crocheter. Growing up, she watched her mother do stitches, make slip knots, and more.

“[N]akikita namin.‘Di na kami tinuruan, kasi ‘pag nakikita mo, nakukuha mo,” she said.

(We watched her. She did not teach us because if you observe carefully, you will ultimately figure it out on your own.)

Adelaida and her family have called Baguio their home for almost eight years. She’s a native of Lucban in Quezon Province, while her half-Igorot husband came from Bayyo in Bontoc, Mountain Province. They were blessed with five children.

Before they moved to Baguio, Adelaida and her husband began their handmade accessory business in Sta. Mesa, Manila where they sold crocheted items like rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Her husband, who is also a craftsman, specializes in macramaze stitches. They decided to stay in Baguio permanently since her husband travels to the province every year to participate in the annual Panagbenga Session Road in Bloom.

Giant Mandalas 

On Aug. 31, Adelaida went viral because of the giant mandala-designed crochet she made that measures approximately 120 inches . Her only dream is to have her creations, including the crocheted giant mandala, displayed along Session Road where other craftsmen exhibit their products as well.

She has already created four different crocheted giant mandalas using Monaco yarn with the help of her daughter. Adelaida’s first-ever giant mandala crochet was fashioned out of rug yarn, which challenged her due to its rough texture. She bought 10 kilos of rug yarn at the Hangar Market in Baguio. However, she managed to crochet only half of the giant mandala.

“[U]sually ‘di siya ginagamit sa crochet. Dapat soft ‘yung ginagamit. Nung una talagang namamanhid ‘yung kamay ko ‘pag nagcrocrochet ako kasi very rough siya. Mahirap siyang gamitin kung ‘di ka sanay mag-rug yarn, mararamdaman mo yung manhid. Pero ngayon, sanay na kasi yun na yung ginagamit namin.”

(Usually, it [rug yarn] is not used in crochet. It should be soft [yarn]. When I initially started crocheting, the rug yarn caused my hand to go completely numb. If you are not accustomed to using rug yarn, you will experience numbness. But now, I’ve gotten the hang of it because it is what we make use of.)

During the interview, she revealed that she stopped making the giant mandala crochet, but her passion ignited upon joining Baguio’s artisan market, Mandeko Kita, where she met an organizer from UNESCO who was keen to see her giant mandala crochet. After more than two months of patiently crocheting, she finished her first-ever giant mandala in October 2021.

Aside from being a crocheter, Adelaida has also worked as a call center agent for almost seven years. She’s been working from home since the pandemic came to the fore. During her free time at work, she squeezed in crocheting to finish her giant mandala. 

Her crocheted giant mandala, which called “mandala madness (designed by Helen Shrimpton),” is priced at P50,000. Smaller sizes cost P15,000 (55 inches), P12,000 (45 inches), and P6,000 (25 inches).

After her works were published across media outlets nationwide, Adelaida received tons of requests from people who wanted to order her crocheted mandalas. However, she said she prefers to take the time necessary to ensure that her creations are flawless.

“Sabi ko ‘di ako makakapagcommit kasi bukod sa matagal gawin ang isang mandala parang ang hirap, kasi gagawa ka uli, tapos magrurush ka... Hindi mo maeenjoy yung ginagawa mo at the same time lalong masisira di’ba?"

(I told them that I can't commit because it takes a long time to make a mandala. It’s challenging to do it again and again while cramming... You can’t possibly enjoy what you're doing [if you’re in a rush] and at the same time, it will make your work look imperfect, right?)

’Abiakak’

“Abiakak” is the reversed spelling of the Tagalog word “kakaiba,” which means unique in English. This was the business name they thought of during the time when they were selling products in Sta. Mesa.

“Nagsimula ‘yan nung nagtitinda kami sa PUP, yung dolls na keychain... Yung mga bumibili, [sinasabi] ’Ay! ang ganda ng keychain. Kakaiba!’ Sabi ni mister, ’Baligtarin ko kaya?’ So, ayun.”

(It began when we were still selling [crocheted] keychain dolls in PUP... Those who purchase our products, we heard them comment "Oh, this keychain is lovely. Looks unique!” Then, my husband thought of reversing [Kakaiba]. So that’s it.)

Until now, Adelaida actively sells crocheted keychain dolls and handmade accessories online. Every Sunday, Adelaida joins other crafters from Baguio and Benguet on Session Road to promote and sell their products.

Life Lessons

In the interview, Adelaida admitted that she really enjoys the opportunity to share her creations with the world and that she finds herself feeling motivated whenever she receives messages from other crocheters or crafters.

She would encourage them to keep on going because she also started little by little.

“I understand na yung iba katulad ko na nanay, syempre hindi ka makagantsilyo ng tuloy-tuloy tapos marami ka pang gagawin sa bahay. Yung pakonti-konti lang... Simulan mo kasi yun yung una mong gagawin, magsimula ka para matapos. Ako, ineenjoy ko. Kasi noon nung gumagawa ako hindi ko alam na ibebenta pala namin. Gusto ko lang siya gawin kasi maganda. Meron din kasi time na parang kulang ang araw na hindi ka humahawak ng gantsilyo.”

(I understand that other people have similar responsibilities to mine as a mother, and that's why it's impossible to crochet continuously. There are just too many errands to do.. It's just a matter of taking things gradually. Getting started is the first step toward getting the job done completely. I personally enjoyed it [crocheting mandalas]. I had no idea that we would sell it when I was making it. I want to finish it simply because I think it will turn out beautifully. There are also times when I don't feel like I've accomplished anything for the day if I haven't held a crochet hook at some point.)

Adelaida believes that those who aspire to be recognized should never stop dreaming.

“[S]iyempre ‘pag mangangarap ka, gawan mo ng paraan... Let’s inspire one another, parang family kung sino yung nangangailangan ng advice bigyan mo. Maging inspirasyon tayo kasi tayo rin nainspire sa iba. Dun naman nagsisimula ang lahat, sa maliit na bagay and kung meron kang gusto ma-achieve. Simulan mong gawin. All you need to do is to start,” she said.

(If you want to achieve your dreams, you will need to put in some work. Let's be an inspiration to one another; our community is like a family, if someone asks for advice, give it. Let's allow others to inspire us as much as we allow ourselves to be inspired by them. If you want to accomplish something, you need to begin with the smallest of things and work your way up from there. Get started with it.)