Picture courtesy of Thi Le
Crochet Club, established in 2022, is a community-based club for those who are interested in crocheting and learning how to crochet, said Senior and President Thi Le.
Le enjoys the environment the club has created and helping other students find their passion for this hobby, she said.
“Crochet club at its core is about connecting and empowering our community,” Le said. “We really just want to introduce this really fun craft to other people for them to find a hobby, and promote sustainability because they can create their own stuff, while also engaging in the hobby with other people.”
The senior center program is Le’s favorite event the club has held, she said.
“We have a program at the senior center where high school students come and teach crochet crafts to other seniors that sign up to be a part of the program, so it connects other generations as well,” Le said. “It’s my ultimate favorite event, because you get to talk to a lot of people that you don’t usually get to talk to and that are outside of your circle.”
Senior and Vice President Teresa Dang enjoys the welcoming environment the club has built and teaching others one of her favorite hobbies, that being crochet, she said.
“The seniors at the senior center are really nice, and I feel like most young people have a different view of how seniors are and people of older generations just because of how conservative they can be,” Dang said. “It’s also just so nice to see what their ideas are, it’s so drastically different from what we do, because a lot of our members think in more modern terms of art.”
Dang joined the Crochet Club in her freshman year, and it helped her make new friends and get to know other people.
“I had a hard time settling into high school, since I’m not originally from Milpitas, so crochet was kind of a coping mechanism for me in freshman and sophomore year,” Dang said. “I decided to try and open up a bit more, and Crochet Club was the easiest way for me to integrate myself into more school programs.”
Junior and Secretary Naira Niyamathullah also enjoys the community the group has created and meeting more people, she said.
“I like the community that the club provides, and it’s a nice way to meet other people who also like to crochet,” Niyamathullah said. “It’s a safe space for crocheters. We have a lot of events that people, who either want to learn how to crochet can go to or who really know how to crochet, can come in and help teach other people.”
Crochet Club invites students of any crocheting experience to come and learn tips or how to become skilled, Dang said.
“It’s nice to encourage other people to be more involved in their craft and take it to new levels, especially since I know how rewarding that can be in the end, and especially since a lot of our members are beginners or people that are trying it out for the first time,” Dang said. “It’s so nice to just be able to see them hold a hook for the first time or be happy that they made a stitch.”