The FIU Honors College has welcomed a new club to its roster in spring 2024 for the inner crafter in all of us. It joins the variety of art-focused clubs, Honors Education in the Arts (HEARTS), offered by the college. Each focuses on a creative subject, such as singing, photography, or writing. Now, we can add crocheting.
Frannie Witbeck, a sophomore, is the founder and president of the new HEARTS Crochet Club. Witbeck got the idea for the club six months ago when she started crocheting with her roommate and Vice President of Ashley Smallwood. Before that, she had a long history of knitting, beginning from age five. Smallwood, her teacher, had been crocheting for many years. Although it is an individual activity, Whitbeck and Smallwood found it more motivating and enjoyable to do with friends.
“We would just sit out in our living room every night and watch movies and start crocheting,” said Witbeck. Eventually, they thought, “Hey, we should start a club; it’d be a lot of fun.”
This club is an opportunity for anyone who may be a yarn craft lover and expert and wants to find a community, as well as those who are beginners interested in starting in a safe and inviting space.
“We will have members who, of course, are already experienced, and they will be crocheting, and then there will also be Ashley and I and a few other friends who will go around and help people learn,” said Whitbeck.
The club has been the recipient of several yarn and needle donations. They encourage experienced members to bring their supplies, but if you are a beginner and don’t have any, you will be provided some and can buy supplies directly from the club.
When coming up with the idea and decisions for how the club would operate, making it an honors organization was an easy choice. Witbeck’s third roommate is the president of the HEARTS Art Club, so she had someone in her corner who had already been through the process. More importantly, she loved the community honors provided.
“In creating an honors community, it is a lot more tight nit, and I liked that we can be closer together, rather than doing a huge club,” said Witbeck.
The possibilities are endless in the creations you can make. Board members of the club are acquainted with creating a diverse background of items from little yarn animals and objects to clothes and bags… if you can think it, you can make it.
If crocheting is not your preferred yarn creation, other yarn-related crafts are also invited. You are welcome to join if you sew or do embroidery or anything else that involves a needle and thread.
Club meetings started January 22nd and will be every Monday from 4 – 6 pm. The meeting room is subject to changes. To stay updated on meeting information and all things Crochet Club, follow their Instagram @heartscrochet.fiu and join their WhatsApp group, which is linked in their bio.