Images provided by Nina Rock and Saadhana Rajesh. Top: Blanket crocheted by Saadhana.
Many people tend to think of art as simply drawing and painting. However, it is so much more than that. Art is about creativity and expression. There are a lot of unique forms and styles, many of which are underappreciated. One of these art forms is crochet, a hobby that some students here at Washington share.
A lot of people don’t know what crochet is. It is also often confused with knitting, even though the two are quite different. Crochet and knitting are both the making of clothing and other items out of wool or similar materials, but knitting is done using two needles while crocheting is done using a single hook. The crochet hook is used to interlock loops of the yarn in a specific pattern.
Freshman Nina Rock enjoys crocheting. Nina got into it because a friend of hers crocheted little animals and other things. Nina thought it was adorable and wanted to give it a try. “Lots of people are intimidated by crochet,” she says. “But it’s not as hard as it looks. It’s actually very easy to pick up. I definitely recommend it.” Nina learned how to crochet by watching YouTube videos and tutorials.
Saadhana Rajesh, a freshman at Washington, got into crocheting during the pandemic. She had a lot of extra time at home, and had nothing to do. Her mom was really into crocheting when she was younger. One day when they went to Michael’s they bought some yarn, and Saadhana’s mom taught her. “It was just a really good bonding experience for me and my mom to crochet together,” says Saadhana. “She would teach me different kinds of stitches and stuff like that.”
“There is a lot of creativity in it,” says Nina.
Both Saadhana and Nina see crochet as an art. “There is a lot of creativity in it,” says Nina. Crochet can be really beautiful. There is much more to it than making blankets and scarves. You can crochet stuffed animals, clothing such as cardigans and tops, bags, pillows, toys and much more. There are also a wide variety of crochet stitches, a few of which are single crochet, double crochet, moss stitch, star stitch, V stitch, puff stitch, and shell stitch. These stitches can be used in various patterns depending on what you aim to create. “You can make so many things out of yarn and you can honestly make the cutest things with so many designs,” says Saadhana. “It is super fun to do.”
Nishika Datla is a junior at Washington High School. She was born in Hayward, but has lived in Fremont her entire life. This is her third year with The Hatchet, and she is the News Editor and the website manager this year. She is interested in covering stories about the arts, activism, and important events in both the Washington community and the world. Nishika enjoys drawing, crocheting, playing badminton, and hanging out with her friends. In the future she hopes to go to college and become a scientist.