Cristy Chavez

For Cristy Chavez, Referrals and HIM Team Leader at Erie Humboldt Park Health Center, crocheting is more than a hobby. It's a creative outlet, a way to unwind, and a way to bring joy to the people around her.

Cristy's love of fiber arts began early. When she was just 9 years old, she watched family members create handmade items. Her aunt made delicate doilies, and her mother crocheted scarves. Although she briefly tried knitting, crocheting quickly became her craft of choice.

"I wasn't really interested in knitting because there was a limit to what I felt I could do," Cristy said. "With crochet, if I found a pattern, I could make it."

For the past decade, she has turned yarn into everything from cardigans, hats and ear warmers to intricate tapestries featuring favorite characters like Ghostface, Pennywise, Spider-Man and Baby Yoda. She's even crocheted Mandrake roots inspired by Harry Potter.

Many of her projects don't stay in her home for long. Cristy loves gifting her creations to family, friends and coworkers.

"I like making things and seeing people get excited when they receive them," she said.

One of her favorite traditions takes place during the holiday season. Each year, she asks colleagues about their favorite colors and creates personalized ear warmers for them. Her own favorite color? A teal shade she describes as "blue-green Crayola."

Cristy often finds inspiration on Pinterest and learns new techniques through YouTube tutorials. She enjoys watching videos of complex stitches, pausing and replaying them until she's mastered the pattern.

While many of her projects take around 10 hours to complete, some require a much larger investment of time. One granny square blanket took nearly three months to finish, as each square had to be crocheted individually and then connected together.

Despite the time and materials involved, Cristy isn't interested in turning her hobby into a business.

"Most people don't understand how much time and material goes into making something," she said. "Monetizing it is an option, but it's not really something I want to do. It's something I do to relax."

That relaxation has become especially important over the past year. After spending 18 years in the Medical Records Department and being promoted to HIM Team Leader last year, Cristy balances supporting her team, helping her supervisor and meeting the daily demands of the department. Crocheting provides a welcome opportunity to recharge.

She often works on projects while sitting beside her mother as she watches television. Around Easter, she crocheted a chocolate bunny and a Peeps marshmallow chick after finding the perfect patterns.

Cristy's passion has also inspired those around her. When a coworker admired one of her crocheted Mandrake roots, Cristy spent a lunch break teaching them how to crochet. She's also shared her skills with Medical Assistants who create newborn hats for babies at Erie Humboldt Park.

"The babies don't know they're getting a hat," Cristy said with a smile, "but it's something special."

That spirit of generosity mirrors how Cristy approaches her work.

"The Erie team at Humboldt Park is a home away from home," she said. "I love the HIM team."

Whether she's leading her department, teaching a coworker a new stitch or creating handmade gifts for loved ones, Cristy brings the same care and thoughtfulness to everything she does.

And when challenges arise, she keeps a simple philosophy in mind:

"You can only do what you can do when you can do it. So why stress?"

For Cristy, that perspective, along with a hook, some yarn and a little creativity, helps her continue weaving connections both at work and beyond.