Fashion is a vast and ever expanding area which cannot fade away, rather it innovates and evolves. One of such innovation is bringing back an old age craft of crocheting into modern day fashion. Crochet is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials.
Adeola Awogbade, a 200 level student of Law at the Bowen University said she had developed an interest in crocheting in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to pass time.
Two years down the line and in spite of her studies, she has grown from being a beginner to and advanced level where she crochets specially designed wears and accessories for her clients who she says mostly contact her through her Instagram and Facebook pages. She crochets clothes, shoes, bags, purses, blankets, shawls amongst others
Awogbade explained that delving into crocheting does not require a background knowledge in tailoring, contrary to perceptions of many. In starting her crocheting business, she says, “I only learnt the basics from someone, every other thing I learnt from Youtube videos.
“I started with learning the different crocheting styles such as chain stiches and double crocheting. It is totally different from tailoring although you have to take measurements too, but the style of measurement is different.
“Where in tailoring, you have to make allowaces, in crocheting you have to actually reduce the measurements to get the exact size of the person who will wear the cloth or shoe because it is stretchy and expands as it is worn.”
Awogbade advises that in starting a business in crocheting, those interested start by learning the several styles of crocheting, which according to her can be learnt from the several instructional videos on Youtube.
She also advises that beginners start first from scarfs to caps to sharpen their skills. She explains that the time it takes in crocheting depends on the expert level. “It may take a beginner a longer time than a professional.
“I advise that a beginner start with something simple so that they can be well versed in the basics. When I started, it took me longer time because I made mistakes and would have to loose and start again but with time I progressed from caps to tops and dresses and then to bags.”
On how much it costs to start, she says the most important is the time it takes to learn as wool which is the basic raw material is just N450 per ball. “It takes just two balls of wool to make a cap and the price of the smallest and cheapest cap is around N2,500 to N3,000.”
On the challenges faced in her crocheting business, Awogbade says, as a student, the challenge is balancing her school studies with the heavy demand by her clients and her strivings to deliver on time.
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