Many persons use their talent and love for that talent as a way to earn and that is no different for the creator of “Crochetella Craft” 17-year-old Giselle McRae, who not only designs and creates original and beautifully designed crochet tops, bikinis, and crop tops but also is a full-time sixth form student at the Bishop’s High School.

McRae told The Buzz that she always had a love for crochet and that she decided to finally put her love for the craft to good use after having some free time due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

“So I got a plan together on how the business would work and I sent my mom to buy me materials and needles. She brought me the crochet hooks instead and from there I started,” he said.

McRae spoke a little about her journey saying it was “a little rocky”, explaining that while she loved crochet she had no previous practical knowledge on how she should go about making her designs. She said that the love she had for the craft pushed her to take the time to look at videos and read books to ensure she could properly grasp how to go about making her creations.

“Well I actually read some e-books and watched a couple of videos and I mainly learnt it on my own, no tutors, no previous knowledge, it was just something I was passionate about and I put in the work- many trial and errors and so on but of course I kept at it because I was passionate about it and I said you know its something I want to stick with,” she explained

The young creative stated that the new venture allowed her to develop her time management skills since she is also a full-time student. She stated that from the time she started her business she ensured that she balanced her time that she would spend behind perfecting her craft and fulfilling orders and also the time she would spend focusing on school and ensuring that she is well prepared for her upcoming CAPE examinations. She even joked that many nights she had to give up her sleep to ensure that she had to even out the time she had put into her business for the day with some extra studying.

McRae stated that she believes that young people can do anything they put their minds to, even running a business while focusing and excelling at school. She further stated that she would encourage any young person that would want to start their own business to not be afraid of the challenge stating, “You have to love what you do, and from that love, I think everything else falls into place but do not neglect to plan. I do a lot of planning so as to make sure I don’t really make a lot of wrong moves. Ensure you focus and ensure you do not neglect one part for the other,” she encouraged.