The French gave us elongated bread, luxury fashion and the Statue of Liberty… but above all and most importantly, the French gave us crochet! We’ve strung together the stories of three crocheters who’ve been hooked by the craft.

Jillian Rector:

Just as her family friend did with her, senior Jillian Rector (she/her) is passing down her crochet knowledge to her sister, which comes with a myriad of challenges.

“I got the stitches mixed up at first, so I had to go back and tell her ‘Oh that was this one, and that was this.’ Also making sure to go slow enough and showing how the hook moved and how to hold it,” Rector said.

Rector began crocheting in the summer of 2022. She said she found videos of crochet on TikTok and Pinterest, which she found really interesting. Afterwards, Rector started learning how to crochet from a family friend.

Rector usually uses crochet patterns she finds online, which include shorthand abbreviations for different crochet stitches row by row.

“I do tend to just use the shorthand, but if there’s a pattern with pictures I’d use that just to make sure I’m on the right track,” Rector said. 

At first, Rector liked making things for herself but soon started making gifts for others. Two of her favorite pieces were both made for other people: a spider with pipe-cleaner legs and an elephant. 

“It just made it feel so much more rewarding,” Rector said.“When I started, it was just things for me, and it was cool to show other people. After I gave that little elephant for a baby shower gift, it was like ‘Oh, I can give these to other people and make them really happy.’” 

Zoe Dachenbach: 

As expected when picking up any new skill, junior Zoe Dachenbach (she/they) made mistakes when learning how to crochet. She found herself missing stitches or adding extra stitches to the ends of rows. 

“I was so surprised how many times I did it just because you don’t notice that until you’re a few lines after. So then you’ll look back on your project and go, ‘Oh, there’s a hole there,’” Dachenbach said.

When a project gets boring, Dachenbach said she starts a new one. If she finishes a project, Dachenbach often gifts it to her friends and family. She said that gifting her projects is her main motivation to finish. Her most recent project is a rainbow scarf, and she is learning how to crochet stuffed animals. 

Dachenbach said there are lots of different crochet projects online that they use. They said that crocheting helps them focus. 

“Crocheting is for something where I’m trying to pay attention to something else without completely stressing about what I’m paying attention to,” Dachenbach said. “If I am doing something that requires me to be active, to actively think about something, I put the crochet down.”

Dachenbach said she sometimes restarts a project because of mistakes, and it can become frustrating. She said a lot of her projects lie in her drawer unfinished. However, she has a helpful tip for beginner crocheters so that they won’t follow in her footsteps. 

“Don’t start with something super complicated,” Dachenbach said. “I started with a scarf for a reason. Do that a few times and do not be upset about making mistakes. When you start, don’t expect to finish your first project.”

Dachenbach said they find themself restarting a project because of mistakes, and it can become frustrating. They said a lot of her projects lie in their drawer, unfinished. However, they have a helpful tip for beginner crocheters so that they won’t follow in her footsteps. 

“Don’t start with something super complicated,” Dachenbach said. “I started with a scarf for a reason. Do that a few times and do not be upset about making mistakes. When you start, don’t expect to finish your first project.” 

Mandy Lam:

For junior Mandy Lam (she/they), crocheting is relaxing, and she feels productive when she crochets. Lam is currently making a shrug sweater and a heart-shaped cake.

“Before I started crocheting, I did Rainbow Loom. I was already doing things similar to fiber arts,” Lam said. “I decided to pick crochet up since I was on vacation with a lot of time. I bought some yarn in Vietnam, and I just started crocheting.”

Lam enjoys crocheting. However, when it comes down to stitching in crochet with other activities, crochet typically falls second. 

“I usually push crochet to the back of my priorities because I’d rather talk with friends, spend time with others and do homework and schoolwork,” Lam said. “It’s only something I would do if I had a lot of time.”     

 Lam also sells crochet items to their close friends. Their prices are less expensive than similar products online but still enough that they profit. However, selling their work has definitely impacted how Lam views their hobby.

“It is a bit draining because once it feels like a job, it doesn’t feel as fun. So, I haven’t sold anything in a while,” Lam said. “But if it’s occasional, it’s fine to do, and if it’s making things for others to make money, it gets a little draining and I lose motivation.”

When she first started crocheting, Lam created simple coasters, but now she has significantly improved. She has started to make clothes and tapestries, with the latter taking around three months to complete. 

“I just scroll on Pinterest,” Lam said. “If I see something, I like to save it for later if it looks really good. Then I just have a lot of motivation to start immediately. I also scroll on Instagram and see if there’s any free patterns.”