Inviting both beginners and experts alike, the crochet club recently expanded into the yarn club to accommodate all textile crafts. Under advisor Mei Travis, the club has been running for ten years, created in 2014. Last year, senior Shalini Patil took over as president with her own personal connection with the skill.

“My grandmother crocheted, and she taught my mother, and my mother taught me when I was about in the third grade. It really means a lot to take over the club, be president, and teach more people to crochet,” Patil said. “I’ve started teaching newer members how to crochet, like my mom did for me, which means a lot to me.”

When teaching crochet, Patil trains attendees, and donations to the club allow students to be provided with free supplies that they can take home to finish their creation.

“It’s really relaxing and welcoming. We usually have the desks pushed into a circle or a big group with snacks in the middle. We’ve also got either a YouTube video or a movie playing for those on the smart board,” Patil said.

After Patil teaches the basics of crocheting, members can experiment with their newfound skill. She says it’s rewarding to see students go from a single chain to fabricating a full creation.

“I learned, like, within the first day of me being there,” beginner Ayanna Prince said. “I like watching other people make their stuff and how it is made like one of my friends when she made a gnome plush for her mom for Christmas.”

Other students are appreciative of this time that they can use to work on something non-school related and further their creativity. For junior member, Kirby Odell, she uses the club as an outlet.

“I’m a pretty creative person, but I cannot draw for the life of me, so I find other things to do like watercolors and crochet. It’s also a way for me to give gifts to people because I put my time into it, and it shows them that I care” Odell said.”I like going there every week to talk to my friends, hang out and decompress because we meet on Mondays.