By J1 Reporter Olivia Franklin 

In 2020, many people were wondering what to do with their free time during quarantine. Many turned to cooking and baking, going on nature walks, etc. But some people took up knitting and crocheting. 

Knitting and crocheting has many benefits in today’s society. One value of knitting is having the ability to make the clothes that you want and being able to design them. 

Like so many other people, social studies teacher Mrs. Jillian Roger picked up knitting during the pandemic. She was able to master this skill by looking up tutorials on YouTube. She does not have much spare time because she’s busy with her four children but when she does find time, it’s something she really enjoys. Roger enjoys knitting clothes for her children and for herself. She says, “It’s really fun to make something that I can wear.” 

Roger just finished a striped sweater that she knit by herself! She started it July 1. and finished it on Nov. 3. Taking her four whole months to complete! After she finished it, she showcased it to the students and staff at Marian where many of her students noticed and complimented her on the new sweater. 

Mrs. Jillian Roger crochets as well. She says she has “been crocheting for a majority of my life”. Crocheting has been somethings she’s enjoyed since she was eight years old, after her grandmother influenced her to. 

Ms. Sharon Flinn, a frequent substitute teacher at Marian, started crocheting when she was a freshman in college. She became interested in it after a friend suggested she make something for her mom. She practiced and got good at the hobby and likes to make baby afghans for her friends and family. “I like doing it because it’s relaxing,” she said. It also is something she can do while she does mindless actives, such as watching TV.

There are few differences between crocheting and knitting. Knitting uses two needles while crocheting uses only one. This causes the pattern of the yarn to be different. These both take time to learn and the difficulty level for each depends on the person. 

According to Marian teachers and yearbooks, there was once an active Knitting Club at Marian created by Mrs. Lori Spanbaur. Every year the club would make hats and scarves for babies. 

If you want to look into these hobbies more, check out Michaels.com for free online lessons.