Tyrone senior Lola Brown has been crocheting since her aunt taught her how in 2016.
The story behind why she started is a touching one. Her aunt had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and Lola, along with her aunt, her mom, sister, and cousin all planned a trip to keep her aunt’s spirit up.
“She taught me to crochet in the car on that trip and it has always been something special between the two of us,” Brown said.
Since then, Brown has developed her skills to the point that many people dream of but only a few can accomplish: she’s turning the hobby she loves into a successful side business.
Brown makes crochet plushies, keychains, and dishtowels, among other things, and is always open to new requests to try her hand at making.
Her items are available for purchase at craft fairs around the area or through her Instagram account.
Unfortunately, like most small businesses, Lola has had some ups and downs along the way.
“The most challenging thing during this process is making the items. Crochet takes an incredible amount of time, and unlike knit, cannot be replicated by a machine. I spend hours sometimes working on one project and finding the motivation to finish is occasionally difficult,” Brown said.
Senior Kasey Daughenbaugh first realized the business was picking up through social media.
“I would occasionally see Lola crocheting in school, but I figured it was just a hobby,” said Daughenbaugh. “I first realized it was serious when I saw an Instagram post with a lot of engagement and I knew that her business was prospering.”
Daughenbaugh thinks that it’s very cool and amazing how students at Tyrone Area High School have the opportunities and ambitions to be able to start their own businesses at young ages.
Starting a business can take a lot of hard work, but it’s not impossible and is within reach if the time is put in.
“My advice would be to come up with an initial plan and expect things to not go as planned. Starting a small business contains a lot of logistics that not many people think about when they come up with their initial business plan, and the best thing you can do is to expect the unexpected,” said Brown.
On top of actively running a small crocheting business, Brown is extremely involved and dedicated to the Marching Band, Indoor Dance, and Concert Band here at Tyrone Area High School.
Lola encourages people to visit her Instagram account and check out her booth at the Warriors Mark Methodist Church on Saturday, December 14th.
