Arts and crafts activities are not usually as popular amongst young adults. Understandably, many teens don’t have time for arts and crafts the way kids and retirees do. However, activities such as sewing, crocheting, painting, sketching, scrapbooking, and many more are great hobbies to make time for. Regardless of their busy schedules, there are a select few students who make time for these hobbies, one of whom is Zoe Poulakidas, a sophomore at ETHS. Zoe spends a lot of time on her hobbies and has become very skilled at what she does.
Zoe has tried many different arts and crafts, including painting, sculpting and drawing. However, she said if she had to go with one, she would choose crocheting. Crocheting is a craft that uses a hook to interlock loops of thread, yarn, and other materials to create anything from clothes to stuffed animals.
She has been interested in crocheting since she was a kid, inspired by her mom, who used to make her different crocheted items. Although her love for crochet started with her mom, Zoe has found her own style and interests.
“She makes things like hats, blankets and ornaments. I prefer to make stuffed animals, clothes or more sculpted pieces,” explains Poulakidas.
Zoe has come very far in her craft and is eager to keep progressing. As she’s learned more about crocheting, she’s taken on larger and more intricate projects, ranging from tops and blankets to three-dimensional creations like stuffed animals. Her projects showcase her skill and her time spent practicing. For her, crocheting isn’t just a hobby, but a means of artistic expression.
“It’s something I’ve put a lot of time and effort into, and it is a big way I choose to express myself,” Poulakidas shares.
Over time, Zoe has moved from appreciating what her mother made her to creating her own projects. To her, crocheting is timeless and has endless possibilities. The fact that there’s always more to learn entices her, and whether it’s learning new stitches or trying a new pattern, she’ll continue to craft in the future.
My mom got me into crochet originally. She doesn’t do it much now, but she used to crochet a lot when I was a kid and I always thought it was cool. She liked to make me things, but my favorite is a purple bunny stuffed animal I named Phoebe. I can send a picture of it if you’d like. She even crochet the hospital blanket she used when I was born. Me and her do have different styles though. She makes things like hats, blankets, and ornaments. I prefer to make stuffed animals, clothes or more sculpted pieces. We still do work together on projects, but at this point I’m at a bit of a higher level, so it’s more or less filled from what it was when I was younger. She says she’s proud of me, and I love impressing her with my work. Showing her is definitely the best part of finishing a project.
