A crocheted frog plushie, the first project of the Grandma Club, made by Haley Sellers

November 10, 2023                                                                                                                                                      Matthew Quilatan | Staff Writer

Once Westlake Charter High School revealed this year’s clubs, there was one club that caught the attention of many students, the Grandma Club. Those students posed the same question: What is Grandma Club?

Grandma Club, led by freshman Haley Sellers, hosts meetings every Thursday at lunch in Mrs. Threadgill’s classroom. According to Sellers, Grandma Club was originally intended as a space for students to learn or teach how to crochet, which is a type of needlecraft where you use a hook to create fabric from loops of yarn. Crochet could be used to make everything from blankets and scarves to hats and sweaters. It’s an activity that grandmas typically perform in, hence the name of the club. 

However, Sellers didn’t want Grandma Club to be limited to only crocheting, so she decided to open the club to people who enjoy knitting and performing other “grandma” activities. According to Sellers, the club was created to teach people a new lifelong skill that helps maintain flexibility in your hands. The current plans for the club are to learn how to create gifts, clothes, plushies, with the ultimate goal of eventually creating items to donate to shelters. The club has only held a couple of meetings where they worked on organizing the club, but Sellers plans to teach the basics of crocheting during their next meetings and eventually start their first project which is planned to be a frog plushie, as shown in the picture above.  

When asked what inspired her to create the club, Sellers replied, “Since 8th grade shadow day, I knew I wanted to be a part of a few clubs, but this year every club I wanted to join was no longer available. I still wanted to be a part of a club and since I crochet during every class, people have talked to me about it and how they thought it seems super hard or that they could never learn how to crochet. I wanted to show people that it’s not as hard as it seems.” Although Sellers missed the first few meetings of creating new clubs, Ms. Grimaldi loved the idea and accepted it.  

The club was presented during the second wave of club rush, catching the surprise of many students. Currently, the club consists of around 14 members and is still open for anyone to join. Students are also welcome to attend any of the club meetings to get a taste of what the club is about and see if they’re interested or not. 

Elijah Bustamante, a member of the Grandma Club, shared his thoughts on the club, “At first I only joined because I’m good friends with Haley, but after the first two meetings, I found out I actually like crocheting! I feel relaxed and calm while crocheting and I find that my attention span increases… I’m really glad I joined.” 

If Grandma Club seems to be of your interest, you are welcome to attend their club meetings, which again, are held every Thursday at lunch in Ms. Threadgill’s classroom. However, if this club doesn’t quite sound like it’s for you, be sure to tune in to The Expedition to explore other clubs we will spotlight .