by Anna Leach, photo by Maggie Rellihan

Eleven orders completed, ten in the works and seven waiting.

“Mine ready yet?” junior Lindsey Valdiviez jokingly asked fellow junior Zoë Krygiel during an American history class Jan. 8.

Krygiel started her custom scarf-making business earlier this month. While she has never sold them before, knitting is nothing new to her.

“I started knitting when I was nine,” Krygiel said. “Knitting classes were a birthday present and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

The idea for a business began late last December. During the Dibble advisory’s Christmas party, Krygiel gave senior advisee Alexis Jenkin a scarf as a secret Santa gift.

“[After I gave Jenkin a scarf], a bunch of other girls in the advisory asked for some [scarves],” Krygiel said. “I made a few and then brought them after the [Christmas] break.”

The accessories caught the eyes of other students, and soon Krygiel was receiving requests from several people.

“Friends told their friends, and then a lot of people were asking me for [scarves],” Krygiel said.

That’s when Krygiel began charging money for her services. Officially, Krygiel’s store opened on Jan. 9 when she posted a Google form order application to her Facebook timeline. From the online form, customers can choose the color, fabric (if the buyer has any allergies) and type of scarf they would like to purchase; a scarf that loops once around the neck costs seven dollars and a scarf that loops twice around the neck costs fifteen dollars.

While there is some room for customization, the pattern of the scarves is the same. Krygiel said she discovered the scarves’ specific knit last December while talking to friend and fellow junior Anja Browning, who was making a similar scarf for her mother’s Christmas gift. After some minor tweaking, Krygiel made Jenkins’s scarf; this adapted version is the one she sells today.

“I just loved the way it looked,” Krygiel said.

Although her scarf business is new,Krygiel said that it is still in high demand. She recruited Browning to help her complete orders since she’s been busy with homework. A double loop, the most popular length preference, takes approximately “two or three movies” to finish, according to Krygiel. Krygiel said that she often watches movies to pass the time as she knits; the equivalent time is four to six hours.

Junior Katie Tampke was one of Krygiel’s first customers. According to Tampke, the scarf she bought was definitely worth the fifteen dollars and would recommend one to others.

“I knew I wanted an infinity scarf, and it was really easy [to buy one],” Tampke said. “I love it and wear it all the time.”