English class is one of those subjects in which much thinking is needed to succeed. For some, it’s hard to even think of ways to start a thesis; luckily for Dre Mora, a senior at Canyon Ridge High School, he wears a crocheted hat gifted to him by his English teacher, Mrs. Janell Phipps, who runs CRHS’ very own Crochet Club.
He calls this his, “thinking cap.” When wearing that hat Dre says, “I feel special… I can be invincible… I feel like I can be whatever I want.”
Here at Canyon Ridge High School, the students are fortunate to have a handful of clubs to join: E-Sports, Drama club, and even Agriculture. Crochet Club is now one of the newest additions to the CRHS club family.
Formed at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, the Crochet Club is run by CRHS English teacher Mrs. Phipps and is held every Tuesday after school in room 410. It’s here that students and teachers alike can come in and relax while crocheting any projects they wish to create.
In the words of Mrs. Phipps, the reasoning behind this “ballin” club was “because it’s something I enjoy and because crocheting is so good for your mind. It helps me a ton. It’s proven to help with anxiety and depression… a lot of things. It’s really helped me, and so I know it will help a lot of people.”
So far, most of her club resources have been donations from her neighbors, parents from former CRHS students, and other teachers, with Phipps calling each one donater “very generous.”
Mrs. Phipps stated that crocheting helps her with anxiety and helps her unwind from the day. “It’s so repetitive; I know it helps your brain put things in logical order.”
Mrs. Phipps started crocheting back when she lived in Hawaii. She organized a church group to crochet leopard bandages for a charity to help aid those with leprosy. After stopping for a while, the COVID-19 pandemic helped her back in the game, and she decided to learn more and improve at crocheting.
The size of the crochet club changes each week, with some weeks having up to four members and others having around eight. Regardless, members who join have also found the club helpful in unwinding from the following day. Two of these members are Debbie Fiedler and Neomi Hernandez-Antonio, two seniors at CRHS.
Debbie Fiedler stated, “My older sister crocheted, and I wanted to learn but wasn’t motivated to do it, so I did [crocheting] as my senior project.” Both Debbie and Neomi started crocheting just last September.
They joined the Crochet Club to have time to crochet and back away from schoolwork. Neomi has worked on crocheting a dishcloth, and Debbie has crocheted hats and headbands. They have also donated some of their finished crochet projects to the homeless shelter, providing them with hats.
When learning how exactly to crochet, one might not know where to start. For Phipps, Debbie, and Neomi, all mentioned the help of YouTube and others, providing them lessons on becoming better and stepping up their crocheting game.
I asked Mrs.Phipps what type of person needs to crochet. She smiled and replied, “Who doesn’t? Crocheting is something everyone should do.”
For those considering joining but not too sure or perhaps scared to walk in, the atmosphere is described best by both Debbie and Neomi, who detailed the club as “calming, easygoing, and welcoming to students” who wish to join, along with a T.V. show playing in the background and the room smelling fresh and clean.
For those who have never had Mrs. Phipps as a teacher and wish to join the club, Phipps welcomes all with open arms. Dre Mora said it best: “Mrs. Phipps is like my school mom, and [I] would do whatever she wants me to do as long as she’s happy.”
If one ever decides to join a CRHS club but is unsure where to start, Mrs. Phipps’ Crochet Club would be a great place to start.
