Not every object we carry at 52 GAGE comes from a brand. Some come from a person. And some come from a conversation that starts with a client walking in and saying - you have to see what my mother makes.
That is how By Lidia came to 52 GAGE.
Jennifer and Her Mother
Jennifer is one of those clients who quietly becomes something more - a familiar face, a trusted voice, a friend of the store. She has been coming to 52 GAGE since the early days, and over time she became one of Jean's regulars in the truest sense. Someone who genuinely understands what we are trying to do here.
One day she came in with a proposition. Her mother, now in her nineties, had taught herself crochet entirely on her own and spent her days making small, colourful roosters, lanterns and flowers by hand. Jennifer wanted to know if we would be willing to sell them. Not for commercial reasons - but to share the work of older people, to celebrate what hands still make when they have the patience and the love to keep going.
We said yes immediately.
The Hands That Make Them
Lidia is over 90 years old. She did not learn crochet from a school or a class or a YouTube tutorial. She taught herself, quietly and completely, the way people of her generation learned most things - through patience, observation and a refusal to stop trying.
Each rooster is made entirely by hand. The colours are chosen by Lidia herself - bright, joyful, entirely her own. No two are identical. The shape shifts slightly from one to the next, the colour combinations change, the expression varies. That is not a flaw. That is the point. Every imperfection is a signature.
Inspired by folk art and the lucky symbols of everyday life - the rooster as a bearer of good fortune, the lantern as a light in the home - each piece carries with it something that cannot be manufactured: the time and attention of the person who made it.
Why This Belongs at 52 GAGE
We are a store that believes in objects with a reason to exist. Most of what we carry comes from independent designers who have chosen craft over convenience, story over scale. By Lidia fits that exactly - not despite being made by a 90 year old woman in her home, but because of it.
There is also a cause behind each piece. A portion of the proceeds from every rooster sold is donated to a local Hong Kong charity. Buying one is not just bringing something handmade and lucky into your home. It is connecting, in a small way, to something larger.
We are proud to carry By Lidia at 52 GAGE. And we are grateful to Jennifer for walking in that day and asking.
By Lidia crochet roosters are available at 52 GAGE, 52 Gage Street, Central Hong Kong. Each piece is unique - once it is gone, it is gone. Visit us in store to find yours.
What is By Lidia?
By Lidia is a collection of handmade crochet roosters, lanterns and flowers made by Lidia, a self-taught crafter now in her nineties based in Hong Kong. Each piece is made entirely by hand, inspired by folk art and lucky symbols. The collection is sold exclusively at 52 GAGE in Central Hong Kong, with a portion of proceeds donated to a local Hong Kong charity.
Where can I buy By Lidia crochet roosters in Hong Kong?
By Lidia handmade crochet roosters are available exclusively at 52 GAGE, 52 Gage Street, Central Hong Kong. Each piece is unique and made in limited quantities. Visit the store to find your piece.
Are By Lidia roosters handmade?
Yes. Every By Lidia rooster is crocheted entirely by hand by Lidia herself, a self-taught maker now over 90 years old. No two pieces are identical - each has its own colour combination, shape and character. The variation between pieces is a feature, not a flaw.
Does the sale of By Lidia roosters support a charity?
Yes. A portion of the proceeds from every By Lidia rooster sold at 52 GAGE is donated to a local Hong Kong charity. The collection was brought to 52 GAGE by Jennifer, Lidia's daughter, with the intention of celebrating elderly craftsmanship and supporting a meaningful cause.
