Not everyone gets to design their own clothing, but students in a preschool class at Bushnell Elementary got a chance to do just that. The class designed winter hats and then Bear Clan Crochet, a Lowell business owned by Becky Martin, made them a reality.
“It’s just really fun to see the creativity of the kids,” Martin says.
She came across a design template for hats and thought it might be a fun project and holiday gift for the students in her daughter Gwen’s preschool class.
The 15 classmates were each given a template sheet and asked to design a winter hat. Some students went with solid colors while large stripes were also popular. Other students came up with challenging designs – such as a largely white hat with small lines of color interspersed or stripes that changed color midstream.
Martin used a knitting machine to make the hats and said the math involved in making sure the finished project mirrored the design was the hardest part of the process.
She didn’t have to work alone though. “Gwen always asks to help,” Martin says. “(She) helps to crank the machine.” The hat project also inspired Martin’s son 7-year-old son Harrison to make hats in his favorite colors for his 24 classmates.
“I’m really excited to see their reactions,” Martin told Lowell’s First Look before delivering the finished hats to students. Based on the photo of students sporting their new hats, it looks like it was smiles all around.
In addition to hats, Bear Clan Crochet offers “mom and me” headband sets, stuffies, bags and keychains, among other products. Martin runs the business from her home and sells items at various events and pop-up sales throughout the year. Her handcrafted goods can also be purchased on Etsy. Follow Bear Clan Crochet on Facebook or Instagram for the latest sale and product information.
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