When the winter weather bears down on Eugene, all you can hope is that your closet is ready to take the brunt of the force. Sweaters, hats and scarves are a staple for any winter warrior, but nothing is as comforting as a homemade piece of clothing.

UO senior Sophia Guitteau has been knitting and crocheting for over 10 years. In that time, she has created everything from shirts and bags to sweaters and blankets.

“In either first or second grade, there was a mom of a kid in my class who would come every recess and she would put a blanket down. Whoever wanted to learn how to crochet could sit with her and learn,” Guitteau said.

Guitteau’s mother introduced her to knitting a few years after she learned to crochet. She said it was a good reason to spend time with her mom and spend hours together working on something fun.

“I grew up with my mom always gifting us sweaters for birthdays. She made me this sweater for Christmas. At least in my family, it’s very special when someone gives you a homemade piece of clothing,” Guitteau said.

Guitteau’s creations become much more warmth based during the colder months. In the summer, she creates a lot of shirts and bags, but winter is sweater season. She is working on another sweater right now, after completing her previous project: another sweater. She said each sweater can take months to make depending on different factors like material and pattern.

“There’s something very magical to me about these sort of pseudo knots and creating hundreds and hundreds of knots. And then somehow it all becomes something you can use and wear,” Guitteau said.

Crocheting and knitting can be a great way to keep your hands and brain busy during the school year. Guitteau says she will knit while watching lecture videos she doesn’t have to take notes on.

“A lot of times it’s pretty repetitive and simple, so, it’s a nice little thing to do with your hands while you’re watching a show, and it’s just kind of fun,” Duck Store sales associate Hannah McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin picked up crocheting three years ago through an online class at UO during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I had an Art D251 class with John Park and he had us do something we’ve never done before because it was COVID and the classes were kind of crazy, so I decided to crochet,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin is normally a digital artist but says her skills transfer well into crocheting. Right now she is crocheting a winter hat with iconic “Peanuts” dog Snoopy in a puffer jacket from a design she found online.

Most of her time crocheting has gone towards creating “granny squares,” McLaughlin said. These squares are built out from a circle and can be used to create anything.

Whether it’s to beat the heat or survive the cold, homemade clothing is always a good call. Try picking it up for yourself, or check out a local seller for quality goods.
McLaughlin’s art Instagram: artbymacc