Crafty, creative crochet; All ages gather to learn at Hebert Library

Published 10:30 am Tuesday, February 5, 2019

PORT NECHES — Brittyn Landry leaned forward, elbows on table and face in her hands and watched intently as Donna Windhorst slowly demonstrated a crochet stitch with a piece of multicolored yarn.

All around were women of various ages and three school-aged girls who were all either in deep conversation or sharing a laugh while stitching away.

Windhorst, of Groves, said the group had people on various skill levels.

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“No pressure,” she said. “I’m not here to grade work. We’re here to learn and have fun.”

Donna Windorst discusses a stitch during a recent crochet class at Hebert Public Library in Port Neches.
Mary Meaux/The News

The dark-haired Landry is one of the students looking to pick up the craft of crocheting, which is being taught by Windhorst at the Hebert Public Library in Port Neches.

“I love giving sentimental gifts,” Landry, of Groves, said. “This is my first time to crochet; I’ve been wanting to try for a while.”

Bernie Williams of Nederland was there to learn on a recent Wednesday.

“This past Christmas I gave my kids fleece blankets I made and my daughter said she loved it because I made it,” Williams said. “My grandma used to crochet but this is my first time to. I just walked in.”

Lisa Wilson of Port Neches has been crocheting all of her life, which is less than three decades.

“My grandma used to,” Wilson said as she moved brown yarn around the needle. “I wasn’t interested until a few years ago then I picked it up.”

Bernie Williams swirls yarn around a crochet needle during a recent class at Hebert Public Library in Port Neches.
Mary Meaux/The News

Wilson’s grandma had many skills: She sewed, knitted, crocheted and did needlepoint.

“I wanted to get into the crafts they did,” she said.

For some, the class is a refresher course. Eva Aguirre, 87, of Port Arthur, used to crochet “long ago.” Years ago she had a friend who was building a home and wanted early American style furnishings and Aguirre told her she needed an afghan made with granny squares. She offered to teach the friend, who brushed aside the idea. Then Aguirre offered to sell her one for $45.

“She let me teach her,” Aguirre said with a smile.

The once proficient Aguirre stopped crocheting about 30 years ago and is now back at it.

She looked across the room at the three school-aged girls and said it’s wonderful to see the younger generation crocheting.

Eva Aguirre, left, watches as Donna Windhorst looks over some of her crochet work during a recent class at Hebert Public Library in Port Neches.
Mary Meaux/The News

The art of crocheting is seeing a revival of sorts with classes such as the one at the Port Neches Library, various publications, videos and Pinterest.

And just recently the Associated Press featured a story about an 11-year-old Wisconsin boy, Jonah Larson, who has been at it for six years, has won multiple ribbons at a county fair competing against “grandmas” and finds crocheting a way to relax after a hard day at school. Larson is also taking freshman algebra and participates in cross country, basketball and baseball but “considers crochet his first love.”

Locally, the trend is catching on. Windhorst began the classes in December and by the second class that month there were eight students. Later, as more people learned of the free class, that number grew and one class had 30 to 34 students. The most recent one had about a dozen.

The next two crochet classes will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday and also Feb. 19 at the Hebert Public Library, 2025 Merriman St., Port Neches.