While many students spend their free time pursuing hobbies, Sophie Wanjiku, a Form Four student at St Bakhita Gataragwa Girls Senior School in Nyeri County, is turning her passion for crocheting into a promising fashion career.
Sophie began crocheting in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, when she had plenty of free time to explore her creative interests.
What started as a childhood hobby has since grown into a skill that she hopes to build into a successful career in fashion and design.
“I had a lot of free time during the pandemic, so I spent most of it watching YouTube videos to learn how to make different crochet items,” she says.
Today, her growing collection includes tops, scarves, sweaters, bags, beanies and bouquets of crocheted roses. She says the craft allows her to experiment with different designs and transform simple threads of yarn into beautiful, functional products.
The time she takes to complete an item depends on its complexity. A scarf, for instance, may take a relatively short time, while more intricate products, such as bags, require greater patience and attention to detail.
For Sophie, crocheting is more than just a pastime. It is an opportunity to nurture her creativity, develop practical skills and explore the possibilities within the fashion industry.
“Learning to crochet develops and strengthens fine motor skills as well as eye-hand coordination,” she says.
As she perfects her craft, Sophie is also looking beyond the classroom, with ambitions of showcasing her creations at major events, including the Nairobi International Trade Fair.
She believes that becoming a successful crochet artist requires creativity, determination, regular practice and good time management, particularly when working on orders for clients.
An eye for detail and the ability to learn new techniques are equally important, she adds, as they enable an artist to produce a wide range of unique and appealing designs.
At school, Sophie takes advantage of events such as Parents’ Day and talent shows to showcase her work and introduce her creations to a wider audience.
Her journey has also been strengthened by the support she receives from her parents and teachers, who encourage her to experiment with different patterns and develop beautiful, distinctive designs.
Sophie Wanjiku, a Form Four student at St Bakhita Gataragwa Girls Senior School in Nyeri County, displays some of her crocheted products on October 15, 2026.
Photo credit: Richard Maosi | Nation Media Group
Balancing her studies with crocheting requires discipline. She dedicates her free time at school to the craft and takes advantage of school holidays to practise more at home.
Despite the demands of her studies, Sophie remains focused on her dream of pursuing fashion and design after completing secondary school.
She draws inspiration from Joan Wanjiru, the director of Jojo Fashion House in Nairobi, whom she admires for her work in the fashion industry.
Sophie says her role model also spent considerable time crocheting before venturing further into fashion, a journey that has strengthened her desire to meet her in person someday.
Looking ahead, the young creative hopes to establish herself in the fashion industry by turning her talent into an enterprise and reaching a wider market with her handmade products.
She also encourages parents to support their children’s abilities whenever they discover a talent, saying early encouragement can help young people develop their skills and pursue their ambitions with confidence.
For Sophie, every stitch brings her one step closer to her dream of making a name for herself in the fashion world.
The school principal, Mrs Joan Murage, says supporting students’ talents goes beyond academic performance, helping them discover and develop skills that can open up future career opportunities.
She says nurturing students’ interests also equips them with leadership, creativity and problem-solving skills, while giving them practical opportunities to explore what they enjoy doing during their free time.
According to Mrs Murage, such initiatives enable learners to turn their hobbies and talents into valuable skills that can eventually be developed into sustainable careers.
