Kitties, Bunnies, Engineering, and Math

There are many reasons people love to crochet. That crocheting animals involves engineering and math is probably not high on most people’s list, but it is on Christie Vinson’s. Christie is one of our fourth grade teachers (she teaches math, among other subjects). She’s been crocheting bags and hats for two years but decided to try stuffed animals over the winter break. “I learned how to read patterns so I could make more complicated projects. I love that adjusting the sizes of the animals involves a lot of engineering and math. I can shape the project in so many ways to create exactly the look I want.” The animals, she says, “can take a long time and have a lot of separate parts, but it’s very satisfying to see the final product take shape.” Recently she began selling her creations through her new Etsy store, Christie’sCritters.