If you walk past the Duck Pond on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., chances are that you’ll see Lyndsey Ross teaching students how to crochet.
Ross, a psychology major and art minor, graduates this May. She’s spending some of her time outside with many balls of yarn.
“I’ve been crocheting for over 10 years,” Ross said.
Ross said she first got the idea from a friend who interviewed her for a podcast about things they can do to change the world.
“After my interview I was like, ‘why am I not teaching crochet like I said I was going to do for the past few years,” Ross said. “For at least three weeks, I’ve been coming out here and just offering lessons.”
Ross said a group of six amateur crocheters is the largest group she’s had since she started her on-campus lessons. Other times, she said, it’s been two or three, but she’s equipped for up to 30 people to join her.
“Worst case scenario is I can sit here and crochet for a few hours, but it’s been bringing people, which has been really awesome,” Ross said.
Ross said every skill is welcome to her circle. If participants don’t want to crochet, Ross said they’re welcome to watch.
Sitting under the shade of a large tree, assorted colors of yarn are unrolled as a group of six people chat and crochet. Some are making chains and some are making designs and blankets.
“I’m going to accomplish something today,” one participant said as Ross taught him how to do a chain stitch.
Ross said because she’s been doing it for such a long time, she feels “like a sewing machine a lot of the time.”
“You’re going to take the yarn and wrap it over — this is holding your yarn still. You’re going to wrap over and away from you so that you’ll have two loops,” Ross said, demonstrating in front of other students.
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Ross’ favorite part of crocheting is undoing her work. She said she likes how it feels. But Ross said the most important part of the process is having creativity.
“I think every person is an artist — every person is creative and without trying all these different modalities you never know where you’re creative,” Ross said. “It makes me happy to know that I am able to share that knowledge that we can all be creative.”
Next to her were an assortment of items crocheted. To the right of Ross sat a pair of socks specifically for sandals that she created. A participant in the circle crocheted a small, lavender heart.
“It’s so satisfying to watch,” said Abby Cummings, an English major, as she rhythmically crocheted a chain stitch.
Cummings said she enjoyed her first crochet group so far.
“Lyndsey and (I) had a class and I was like ‘this is something I can do,’” Cummings said.
Cummings said when she was younger she learned how to knit, but never kept up with it. Now, she said she wants to get back into it.
“I forgot how until I came here,” she said. “And now I’m killing it— I’m doing great.”
Cummings said she likes crocheting because of how therapeutic it is.
In addition to her hours at the Duck Pond, Ross said she gives crochet lessons at the Off Center Community Arts Project on Fridays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ross said she also wants to livestream her work on Twitch.
“It’s a great way to be productive and you get to have a great knowledge of knowing how to make something— like you can look at a sweater and understand that you can make that,” Ross said.
Anthony Jackson is the photo editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted by email at photoeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @TonyAnjackson.
