BABY BLUE Brian Magnus ‘27 gifts math teacher Josh Jetton a custom sweater for his baby. “Brian is incredibly talented and I’m so grateful that he was able to make my son an awesome sweater,” Jetton said.

Students can typically be seen studying, gaming, and reading in the forums, but Brian Magnus ‘27 can be spotted with needles and yarn in hand, knitting or crocheting custom garments for his teachers and classmates. 

“I started knitting when I was five with my grandma,” Magnus said. “I made a scarf and then I stopped after that. I picked it back up when I was 12 or 13 at a yarn shop because at that point I just crocheted, but my grandma and my mom wanted me to knit so that I could make cooler stuff.”

Since then, knitting and crocheting have become a form of connection beyond Magnus’ family. 

“I get to be friends with people I wouldn’t normally get to know because of our shared interest,” Magnus said. Payton Mathis ‘27 took up knitting after seeing Magnus knit during English class.

“He was sitting next to me and he was knitting, and I was like, ‘that looks fun, let me try,’” Mathis said. “Brian is a really great teacher.” 

Magnus’ knitting has also caught the attention of his teachers.

“Sometimes teachers will see me knitting or crocheting in the forum and they’ll ask me to make something for their friend or their baby or their dog,” Magnus said. “It makes the teacher really happy and it’s just a fun thing to do. It also gives me an excuse to knit during class.” 

Hats, socks, baby clothing, and dog accessories are among the custom garments that Magnus has made for his teachers. In addition to bringing others joy by gifting his creations, Magnus finds joy when making them. 

“If I want to be mindless, I have something to do where I can use my hands and get my energy out,” Magnus said. “If I want a challenge or a puzzle, I can do something more complex with cables. My favorite thing that I’ve made is a purple cabled sweater for my sister.”

Magnus’ giftees not only get to choose the color and style of their garment, like purple and cable knit, but they also get custom sizing.

“I can customize whatever I’m making to fit the person really well, so I can make sure that it’s the best fit they’ve ever had,” said Magnus.

English teacher Becky Randolph got one of these custom garments for her dog. 

“Brian was knitting in the eighth-grade forum, so I asked him if he could make a sweater for my dog, Oskar,” Randolph said. “That night he emailed me asking for Oskar’s measurements, so I sent them over. Brian is an awesome guy.”

Looking forward, Magnus wants to develop his craft and start a business. 

“I’m eventually going to try to start selling more of my stuff,” Magnus said. “Spun Ann Arbor, the yarn shop that I go to, offered me a job for the winter, so I’m probably going to do that as well.”