Colton, CA—When you meet Daniela Castañeda, your first impression may well be that she’s the most quiet person you’ve possibly ever met. She doesn’t talk much at all, but she is observant and thoughtful, paying attention to everything going on around her.
It’s that level of observation that she puts into her art and crafts.
A junior at CHS, Castañeda has begun turning her love for crocheting into a small business. In her spare time, both on and off campus, she loves to crochet small figures, animals like cats and raccoons, and even cartoon characters. Often they are gifts for those she cares for, but she occasionally sells them, too.
Castañeda’s interest in crocheting goes back to her childhood when she would watch her grandmother crochet blankets. “My grandma crochets, too. She makes blankets. She does it like a traditional crochet.”
Castañeda’s grandma was a big part of her drive to crochet and her Grandma visited her from Mexico and gave her tips and tricks. “She taught me how to hold a hook or different ways to hold a hook to crochet.” Currently, Castañeda is making her grandma, a Pokemon fan, a Pikachu doll.
Her decision to start focusing on the craft began in earnest late in her Sophomore year when she saw a substitute teacher named Ms. Ramirez knitting, followed by seeing a crocheted doll of a K-Pop idol on Instagram. That inspired her to combine the traditional style of her grandmother with the crocheted doll look.
She starts the process of making these crocheted dolls by buying patterns and using specific stitching terms and following the instructions. She has also started improvising and designing her own patterns. The raccoon she made was freehanded and she made it into her own pattern.
As her skills have improved, Castañeda is beginning to dip her toes into the world of small business as she looks to sell her dolls and designs.
“I’ve sold some to my sister for like $100, like this huge Hello Kitty I made.” That may sound expensive, but the work itself is not cheap. “It takes a lot of effort and materials: the stuffing, and the actual yarn itself,” shared Castañeda.
As of now the few dolls she has shared have helped her invest in more patterns and supplies. But for Castañeda, crocheting is about more than making a quick buck.
“Sometimes I feel at peace, you know, because I really like doing it and sometimes I get frustrated because I can’t figure out how to make it… So it’s like peace and annoyance.”
