When Annabelle Wheeler (11) started her junior year, she knew exactly the kind of impact she wanted to leave on her peers. She wanted to create and foster an environment that’s main purposes are having fun and finding a community of like-minded individuals. So she combined the two things she loved the most: her friends and crocheting.
“What inspired me to start Crochet Club was my love for crocheting and wanting other people to enjoy it as well. It’s a really great way to learn life skills that aren’t being taught normally. Also, you’re able to learn how to make clothes if you ever want to, which I think is pretty cool” Wheeler said.
Abigail Bennett (11) was one of the first to join the Crochet Club. She joined because not only was she good friends with Wheeler, but she also already knew how to crochet. She felt that by joining the club, it would broaden her horizons and teach her how to create new things she’d never even thought of.
“[The best part is] just getting you to make things. We’re learning how to make beanies to donate right now, and I feel like that’s really rewarding. Hand-making things is just always so rewarding because you can feel all of the lessons that you’re getting out of it,” Bennett said.
For Bennett and Wheeler both, the purpose and mission of the club shines through their life onto their daily interactions with others. Wheeler especially feels that by establishing the club, she is taking a personal mission and putting it on a larger scale, so it has the opportunity to reach a multitude of people.
“The mission of the club is to have fun and meet new people, so I just try to enjoy being with people and teaching them new things. One of the best parts about Crochet Club is that it brings people together in an old-fashioned way. No one knows how to do those sorts of crafts anymore, so it’s fun to be able to make friends through something you wouldn’t expect,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler’s favorite memory that has come from the club is actually getting to introduce and teach people the basics of crochet. She personally feels proud when she gets someone who was previously uninterested to see the hobby from a different perspective.
“I enjoy getting to teach people how to crochet because I just want to teach everyone that I can. It’s really fun for me to get people into a hobby that they didn’t think they’d like before,” Wheeler said.
Through the determination of Wheeler, Bennett, and all the newfound members of Crochet Club, the club is creating opportunities for students to put themselves out there and try out something new.
“I would tell people to just join the club. You never know who you’re going to meet and what you’re going to gain from the club in the future. It is tough trying to show up every morning that we have meetings, but the more you show up, the more you learn and the better you get,” Wheeler said.
