While quarantine left many students feeling unmotivated, sophomore Brianna Belanger used the pandemic as an opportunity to find a new passion for crochet, which she now shares with others through the recently-formed crochet club.

While Belanger first started knitting during quarantine in the spring of 2020, she quickly got into crochet since it allowed her to complete a wide range of projects, both big and small. Crochet is a crafting technique in which textiles are created by connecting loops of yarn using a hook.

When Belanger first started, she was self-taught through YouTube tutorials where she mastered making small items like mini pumpkins and mushrooms, and she was immediately drawn into the hobby, making many projects in her own time.

“It was a little bit confusing at first, but then I eventually got what the videos were teaching and I’ve gotten pretty good at it over the years,” Belanger said. “I’ve made mug cozies for teachers before, and right now, I’m making a netted bag.”

Belanger began the club because librarian Kim Honey and library aide Bridget Richardson were interested in learning to crochet.

“They asked me a lot last year to teach them, but that was towards the end of the year so I wasn’t able to start a club yet, but this year, they were asking me again, so I was able to start it with them in the library,” Belanger said.

Belanger was inspired to connect with other people who shared her passion for crochet. She soon realized she was ready to take on a leadership role and founded a new club.

“I chose to take leadership because I’ve been doing it for three years, so I felt like I could do it and teach people how to do it,” Belanger said. “Most of the people in the club don’t really know how to crochet, so it’s more of a teaching moment than a club where we all just talk and crochet. It’s more just of a learning experience for the people that are in the club.”

Honey admires Belanger as a leader and thinks her positivity makes her perfect for the club’s learning environment.

“[Belanger is] extremely patient,” Honey said. “She is dealing with a lot of uncoordinated people, and she never shows anything but pure patience and she’s a wonderful cheerleader, encouraging that we can do it, keep going, don’t give up, and very much embodies that whole growth mindset of you might not know how to do it today, but you’ll know how to do it tomorrow.”

During the crochet club, members create many abstract and creative works, while also making valuable memories. Everyone in the club works on something different. Some are mastering single crochet stitches, while others focus on larger and more complex projects like hats, bookmarks and mug cozies.

“It’s learning a new skill, but also almost a new language,” Honey said. “We all have grand plans of doing things like this, but some of us aren’t there yet.”

Starting this new journey, Belanger is hopeful to see it grow. She hopes to see more people become interested in her passion and go on a long and happy journey as she takes the crochet club throughout her years in high school.

“I just want it to become a more involved community with a lot more people so we can really talk and have a conversation and have a good community where we can all have good experiences,” Belanger said.

This story was originally published on The Harbinger on April 28, 2025.