CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — There is a certain satisfaction that comes from creating something with your hands. The Hunter Middle School Crochet Club makes everything from oven mitts to afghans one stitch at a time. And that is a crafty example of “What’s Right With Our Schools.”
“Why a crochet club?” David Moore, Chief photographer asked.
“I have had a crochet club at the last several schools that um I’ve taught at. And it started as just something to offer to kids that were not involved in sports, not involved in music, in theater, in choir, in band, in robotics, in any of the other things that are offered. And it was just something that a skill that I had that I could share with the kids,” Heather Blanchard, Crochet Club Sponsor from Hunter Middle School said.
“I choose crocheting because it gives me a lot of peace. And it usually helps me instead of being on my phone like Miss Blanchard said. I prefer to crochet because I like to do crafts and art. So, me learning how to crochet and learning how to do something like that, it really like gives me an understanding of how to do something. Even though some people might say like, “Oh yeah, you’re like a grandma.” I still don’t care because it gives me like fun. Like it’s fun something fun to do. And I know how \ to make stuff. Like I can make clothes or I can make scarves,” Londyn Reese, 7th Grader from Hunter Middle School said.
“And it became something much larger than it started as. Um, now we’ve got crochet club after school, but we also have Friday crochet clubs in sixth grade, seventh grade, and eighth grade,” Blanchard said.
“I like that I can make new things. Because I’m originally into crafting and crocheting is just making things. And crafting is making things. You can really make anything. Like I’m making a bookmark right now,” Erica Efird, 7th Grader from Hunter Middle School said.
“When I first teach um kids how to crochet, I always let them go through all of the steps and then at the end um I make them tear it all out. And they get so mad because they just spent maybe an hour working on just the basics. And then we tear it all out. And it’s kind of satisfying, right, to pull it like this. But at the same time, I just worked on that for an hour. Um, but that’s how you learn. And then you start over,” Blanchard said.
“My dad has a like a homeless ministry and he makes sales to provide money to buy for meals. And I was just thinking crocheting might be something I can make to help sell. I don’t know if it’s because of my… or like my artistic skills, but I just think it’s kind of cool taking like a picture or something and trying to make it like physical and a 3G object,” Bradley Whiddon, 7th Grader from Hunter Middle School said.
“I want them to have a place where they can just be with each other, without their screens; with a shared skill that they’re working on. I want them to have a feeling of confidence and um I guess success that they can complete a thing that they start. And this offers something like that,” Blanchard said.
