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When Adriana Wong picked up a crochet kit as a little girl, she never thought she would grow up to be so hooked. 

“I was pretty much just bored looking for a hobby to pick up,” the interdisciplinary studies senior said.

Wong described her summer family visits to Mexico as some of her most cherished childhood memories where she had the luxury of exploring different activities to pass the time. It was one of those summers that she discovered the bliss of counting stitches and weaving yarn.

What started off as social media posts of some of her crochet pieces, has now grown to her own business, Hooked – Handmade with Love.

"People started asking if they could buy my work,” Wong said. “I was really hesitant because I didn’t want to turn something that I loved into a job and make it unenjoyable.”

From tulips in a pot to dangling cherry headphone accessories, Wong stays busy taking orders and shipping them off to her customers. Her most challenging order was using her “spidey-senses” to create Spiderman’s signature move -- hanging upside down from his web.

Her longest project? A blanket for her neighbor’s baby – which she admits was also the most meaningful gift she’s ever made.

Expected to graduate in May, Wong hopes to start teaching right away. Crocheting has helped her manage her stress on the road to graduation.

“As a college student, there have been times where I’ve questioned if I want to continue going to school. Your twenties are a weird time,” Wong confessed. “Crocheting has helped me get through some hard times and been a good tool to help me manage my stress.”

Between schoolwork, her job at Crackel Barrel, and completing her clinical teaching at Helena Park Elementary School, Wong said she hasn’t been as busy with her business this semester, to prioritize graduation. 

“I mainly do it to de-stress and clear my mind,” Wong said about the hobby.

Since January, she’s shifted her purpose back to herself – and now even her students.

“My mentor teacher actually told my students about my hobby, so now they’re waiting for free time this semester to learn how to crochet,” Wong said. “I’ve even had a few teachers down the hall ask if I could make them crocheted plants for their classrooms.”

Open to the idea of incorporating the art into her own classroom one day, Wong’s goal is to become a bilingual elementary reading teacher.

“I think I have the patience to teach the littles. I want to give them the opportunity to have a teacher who listens to them and shows up for them every day,” Wong explained. “I just want to build a very comforting, welcoming and inclusive classroom for my students.”

Find more of Wong’s projects on her crochet business's Instagram account at, @hooked.byadrianaw.

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