New Delhi: Demonstrating that age is not a bar when it comes to following your dreams, this octogenarian from Delhi has made her mark as the 'Startup Queen' for her incredible crochet sweaters and well-knit art pieces.
Sheela Bajaj (81), who lives in Janakpuri in West Delhi, had been crafting crochet and knitting for years but it was during the Covid pandemic that she turned her bobby into business. Since then, woolen and crochet items such as home decors, garments, designer bags and toys made by her are in huge demand.
After partition, Sheela's family settled in Bihar, where she studied till class 11. It was after her marriage that she came to Delhi.
Sheela said her mother taught her to craft crochet when she was very young. She got scolded by her mother because she could not count the threads even after being explained several times. One day, she went to her aunt's house in anger and learnt the skill there. Gradually, she kept making small household items.
Sheela is the eldest daughter-in-law in the family. At the weddings of her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, she gifted them designer sweaters and home decor items of crochet. But she had no idea that her skill could fetch money.
It was during the pandemic that Sheela's life took a different direction. "Everything came to a standstill at that time. I stopped going out and even did not visit the temple. Sitting idle at home started becoming very difficult for me. Then I asked my granddaughter, Yukti to give me some old clothes and sweaters, so that I could knit something. Yukti liked my work very much and started selling those through social media. For the last five years, she has been selling my products online," Sheela said.
At an age where people think they are slowing losing their skills, Sheela sits at home, engrossed in enhancing her skills. Having lost the strength to walk up to the temple, she spends the entire day at home. Sheela said her knitting speed has never decreased and her eyesight too remains the same. Currently, Sheela gets 20 to 25 orders in a week and earns around Rs 30,000 a month. Recording annual income in lakhs, Sheela is making her identity known across the country as the 'Startup Queen'.
"I am very happy when customers like my items. When people praise my work saying, everyone liked the things I have made, I am overjoyed. I also try to send my love and blessings along with whatever product people are buying. Their encouragement gives me more strength to work," she said.
Sheela had witnessed several ups and downs in her life. She is mother of two daughters and a son, who died in a road accident in 2012. In 2015, her daughter-in-law also died in a road accident and in 2016 her husband passed away. Her granddaughter, Yukti, stays in Delhi while her grandson works abroad. Sheela said Yukti never calls her grandma but always refers to her as mother.
Yukti said her grandmother has a unique skill, which she has exposed before the world. "When responses come on social media about her products, it makes her very happy. Before the pandemic, grandmother used to go to the temple and do a few chores. But during the lockdown, her movement got restricted. I too started working from home. It was then that I realised that she should receive recognition for her skills," Yukti said.
Yukti said the first order that was received was that for earrings made of crochet and it made her grandmother very happy. Four months ago, Yukti got married but her in-laws house is very close and so she comes to meet her grandmother every day.
Inspired by the work of Startup Queen Sheela, many other grandmothers have joined her who want to become self-reliant after learning this skill. "Despite being old, no one should give up. Everyone has a different skill, it is important to identify it. Those who can walk should do work that requires walking and those who cannot walk can utilise their skill by sitting at home like me. What one needs is courage, strength and determination. I have always tell my granddaughter not to give up in life. Whether we get a small order or a big, we should not refuse anything," Sheela said.
Grandma Sheela's crochet products are available for people of all age groups. If we talk about babies, then there are inners, sweaters, socks, cups, mittens and toys. On the other hand, there are sweaters, designer caps, earrings, purses for youngsters. There are also items like bedsheets, designer buckets and wall hangings in home decorative things. All products are sold online.
