Photo courtesy of Carla Hau Junior Jaylene Powers shows off her floral bucket hat at school after working on it for four hours.

Practice makes perfect for Powers’ crochet

1 0
Read Time1 Minute, 57 Second

Finishing her last equation, junior Jaylene Powers sets down her pencil and picks up her crocheting hooks to begin her next project. She weaves the royal blue yarn between the hooks, starting the base of her hat. Before Powers knew it, three hours passed, and she was done with yet another order.  

Powers started crocheting at the young age of eight. Ever the creative child, Powers was eager to jump into crocheting when she was first introduced to the idea.

“In elementary school, my best friend’s aunt had [a crocheting] business,” Powers said. “She’d make all types of crochet things, and she [taught] us how to crochet. At the time I was obsessed with making friendship bracelets, duct tape wallets, and anything DIY. I thought crocheting would be a cool hobby to add to my list.” 

Of course, crocheting did not always come so easily for Powers, as she had a hard time learning the stitches.

“Even holding the crochet hook was hard for me,” Powers said. “But after years of practice, I eventually got the hang of it. I became consistent [during] the pandemic. Being at home allowed me to hone my craft and become faster and more skilled.” 

As in-person learning resumed, Powers’ expertise did not go unnoticed. She started an Instagram account (@jays.crochet_), showcasing her creations with her friends and family. Upon posting, people began asking her to make them things, and Powers realized that she could transform her hobby into a business. 

“It is stressful knowing that people want to order things,” Powers said. “I did have a period where a bunch of people started ordering at the same time.”

Juggling so much on her plate was difficult, but Powers’ family was more than willing to help. As an experienced Etsy shop owner, Powers’ mother always supported her daughter’s hobby. While Powers currently does not have the time to build a full-fledged business, she hopes to open an Etsy shop and get a vendor’s license by the summer. 

“Sometimes I do get a little burnt out when I have so many orders, but I remember the satisfaction of crocheting,” Powers said. “The most enjoyable part about it is seeing my consumers wear my products. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing someone wear something you made.”

Average Rating

5 Star
0%
4 Star
0%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *