Sophomore Aviva Iyerkhan stitches with style
Fingers moving in rhythmic fashion, carrying the crochet hook through every loop and pull of the yarn, sophomore Aviva Iyerkhan transforms the simple strand into an intricate art piece. Iyerkhan began her crocheting journey in sixth grade when distance learning started during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the extra time on her hands, she picked up a crochet set her grandmother had gifted her years before and started learning the craft.
“My grandmother and her mother both did a lot of crocheting,” Iyerkhan said. “We have many of their intricate pieces hung up around the house.”
To learn how to crochet, Iyerkhan watched videos from a YouTube channel teaching crochet called “forthefrills”, which provides guides on various clothing items such as sweaters and tank tops.
Like other forms of art, crocheting comes with its own set of challenges, including learning the stitches and getting the hang of the process.
“Different types of yarn have different thicknesses, so you must use different sizes of hooks,” Iyerkhan. “I only had one size hook, and I was using a very thin yarn, so the sweater I was making had a lot of big holes in it.”
Despite starting with clothing, Iyerkhan later began to create various stuffed animals such as crabs and otters.
“When school started again in eighth grade, I would make people crochet stuffed animals as birthday gifts,” Iyerkhan said. “They encouraged me to sell my items, and I always thought it was something I would do when I was a little older.”
During Thanksgiving break in 2023, Iyerkhan officially began her crochet store called NovaKnitz. Although she does have an Etsy shop, her main method of selling is through word of mouth to the people around her.
“I made one of my friends a pink top,” Iyerkhan said. “She drew a picture of what she wanted, and I made the shirt based on her drawing.”
Aside from being an art form, crocheting can also be a very therapeutic process, slowing down the nervous system and reducing stress hormones in the body.
“I like to crochet whenever I have free time,” Iyerkhan said. “It’s good for when you need a brain break from studying, but it’s not as draining as scrolling on social media.”
Today, Iyerkhan has a diverse range of products, including headbands, leg warmers and keychains, which is her most commonly sold item. Despite already making it so far, she has more goals for the future of her business.
“I plan to expand my store a lot more during summer break,” Iyerkhan said. “I definitely want it to reach a larger audience of people, not just at my school, but also around the country.”
Sophomore Ellie Wang brings yarn to life
In elementary school, sophomore Ellie Wang picked up a crochet hook for the first time. Through the teachings of her grandmother, Wang began to learn this skill that would follow her for the years to come.
“I remember she showed me how to do it, and I just copied her movements,” Wang said. “My grandma is really artistic and I like being creative with her.”
Despite taking a break from crocheting for a few years, Wang returned to her old hobby after seeing the popularization of crocheting on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. She began working on many crochet projects, sometimes even selling them to people around her.
“When I was in eighth grade, I gave my friend a little turtle as a gift,” Wang said. “Other people saw and were interested, so I began selling to them.”
After many suggestions from her friends and family, Wang officially launched Loveleigh Crochet, her crochet store on Etsy in April 2024. The products listed on her shop include stuffed animals from puppies to dinosaurs, with prices ranging from $13 to $40. Customers also have the option to make customized orders from the shop.
“I crochet almost every day whenever I have any sort of downtime,” Wang said. “On average each project takes one to two hours, and I tend to charge my products based on how many hours I worked on it.”
During Wang’s crochet journey, her biggest obstacle was finding the courage and motivation to begin the shop as she was afraid that nobody would purchase her products
“When I was talking with my friend about my store, he said that he would want to buy my stuff,” Wang said. “It made me feel really happy that there are people who think it is worth spending money on my products.”
Wang’s store consists mostly of stuffed animals, but she is expanding her range to other items such as clothing. In the past, she has crocheted a sweater for her mother and she is currently working on a cardigan for herself.
Aside from crocheting, Wang has also engaged in other art forms as well. Rainbow loom was one of her favorite hobbies during her childhood, and she often created friendship bracelets with them.
As for the future of her store, Wang hopes to look into nonprofit organizations and donate some of her products to hospitals. Furthermore, she hopes to expand her store and reach new heights.
“I recently had the idea to start selling keychains because that is more affordable for more people,” Wang said. “I hope that in the future I will get more customers, and I also want to start selling my stuff at markets like the Craft Fair.”
