Woolganza

By Tafadzwa Makhuza

I wanted to buy a bralette that an old schoolmate was selling but I didn’t have money. Instead, I bought some wool, put on a YouTube tutorial, and the rest was history.

Crochet came into my life in 2015 - the year Jeppe High School for Girls first participated in the 67 Blankets for Mandela Day Drive. Mrs Carolyn Steyn, the founder of the initiative and a Jeppe Girls alumnus, had personally come to address us and she inspired me to be as creative as possible. However, the blanket i made that year was bland due to my lack of skills (I cannot think of it without cringing). It was only in 2016/2017, when my crochet skills got better, that I was able to think about an idea and then create it. I was a watermelon fanatic so naturally, I made a watermelon blanket that year.

In 2019, I fell utterly in love with making clothes. I started wearing my crocheted tops around campus as well as posting pictures on Instagram. I’d make crochet items as birthday gifts for my friends or simply to show my love for them. One person suggested that I sell some of the things I made. Then others chimed in with the same suggestion, which resulted in the birth of my small business - WoolGanza (short for Wool Extravaganza). I even conjured up the slogan: “The woolest place on earth” because that’s what I wanted my business to be.

Crocheting is magical bcause you are just using wool and a single hook to create absolutely anything. It is a wonderful activity to do when you are watching something, attending a lecture, or even walking about. In fact, I recall many afternoons walking from school, crocheting the watermelon blanket.

I have many plans for my business. Realistically, I will probably only get to attend to them after my master’s degree. First, on my to-do list, I would love to work on my website and make it a place where other wool enthusiasts (focusing on South African crocheters and knitters) can showcase and sell their work. S all ages, genders, econdly, my intentions are to show that crocheting can be bold, cute, funky, sexy, elegant, and outright stunning using social media as as a platform. Gone are the days when any activity related to wool is seen as an elderly activity. It is very much an activity for all ages, genders, backgrounds, etc. Social media is booming with so many wonderful woollen wonders. For instance, one can start by searching #crochet on instagram and see that the posts are endless.

WRITTEN BY TAFADZWA MAKHUZA FOR AESTHETIKSELEKTOR VOLUME 3 CLASS OF 2021 COURTESY OF WOOLGANZA

As for me, I will continue creating what is on my mind. These days, I just grab my wool and a hook and start crocheting. One of my latest designs is a pair of “egg pants.” They are actually flowers, but those closests to me have have argued that they look more like eggs and this has now stuck. I saw a blanket, at my best friend’s house, which had a similar granny square design and It inspired me to make the pants. I used to rely heavily on YouTube tutorials (for which I have everlasting gratitude) but these days, I have been making my own things. You will definitely hear more about it soon, dear reader, but just know that it will be absolutely fun.