Sharanya Javli (‘24) picked up her hobby in crocheting and fashion during quarantine, and her passion has now expanded to making clothes for friends and a potential business.

“I started crocheting about two years ago during quarantine. I picked it up because I was bored and my mental health was bad at the time,” said Javli. “I found crocheting  a good coping mechanism.”

The learning process was quick with Javli’s hard work and genuine interest. 

“It is all about the process. Crocheting is different because I wasn’t doing it just to yield a result; it was something I genuinely enjoyed. That’s what helped me get better at it. I wasn’t great at first, but now I can make fully completed projects” said Javli. “I learned it within a month and made my first top. Once you have the technique down, you can make what you want. I feel like I’m at a point where I can say confidently that I could make a tutorial for a bag or a top.” 

Javli believes that crochet is a great and simple hobby to explore, but one also needs to work hard to reach their goals.

“It is not a hard hobby, and it is also inexpensive. If you have the hard work and dedication needed and don’t always expect everything to turn out perfect, you can learn. But you definitely need time and patience, and you need to understand that it will not come easily at first,” said Javli. 

Despite having a busy schedule, Javli always makes time to crochet. For her, crocheting is a relaxing hobby that improves her mental health following the pandemic.

“Usually if I’m bored or there is a long weekend or break, or if I’m feeling upset and want to feel productive, that’s when I pick up my crocheting needles. Usually, I don’t like to use tutorials because I am a more go-with-the-flow kind of person,” said Javli. “Depending on the project, it’s either completed the same day or over the course of a couple of days because I don’t like to have my projects take months on end.”

Javli enjoys wearing her completed projects at school and has also started creating clothing pieces for others. 

“I crochet for some of my friends if they ask me for a top or something similar. I want to sell them, depending on how much time I have. During the summer, I will probably start a business,” said Javli.

She likes to share her passion with her friends and on social media. She runs a social media page for her fashion and outfits.

“Sharanya tells me a lot about crocheting. She’s really passionate about it, and she’s really into fashion. I’m glad she got into it because it fits her as a person,” said Poorvi Sharma (‘24). “I would be really excited if she started selling her clothes. I really trust her fashion choices, and I trust her ability to crochet. She’s also really good at business.”

Javli has been sharing her passion with others by making pieces for others.

“I usually make tops, and I make bags too. With bags, you can give them to people of all ages and sizes. Older people can also appreciate the art in my bags when I give it to them. I don’t stick to one type of clothing because I like to work in a broad range” said Javli.

She finds it cool how the culture and story behind her name reflects her hobby in crocheting. 

“In my mother tongue, ‘Javali’ means textile or clothes merchant. Back in the day, my family probably worked in textiles or as clothes merchants,” said Javli. “I think it’s cool and really interesting that I can embrace my roots this way with crocheting.”