Local business owner Danielle Leibig started out crocheting as a way to kill some time. Little did she know, that hobby would blossom into a career, the products of which can be seen at the craft tent during Palmerton's Community Festival this weekend.

"It all started when I was 21 years old, and I was in a bad car accident that left me housebound," Leibig said. "I would work about 80 hours a week, and then after my accident, I was left out of work for a very long time. I also suffered from short-term memory loss, which made things very frustrating. With all this that had happened, I needed something to occupy my time, so I asked my mom to teach me the basic steps in crocheting."Initially, Leibig said her mother probably figured she wouldn't do much with it - maybe a crochet a few blankets, and then let it go by the wayside. During her downtime from the accident, Leibig made a few throws for some friends, and continued with some projects here and there over the next few years.Around 2009, Leibig was asked if she could make a blanket with a design or phrase on it. She initially thought it impossible, but after some extensive research, she found a method using graph paper. As a test, she made up a special gift for her mother/crochet mentor."I made a blanket big enough to fit a queen-size bed for my mother, and it said, "I love you mommy." I had sent that back home to her in Pennsylvania, and when she opened it, she cried. She couldn't believe that I had ever kept crocheting, and then taught myself how to do a blanket with writing in it. She didn't even know how to do that herself!" she said.Friends and family began making requests, asking if she had anything she was selling. Leibig began researching pricing methods and graphing programs, teaching herself the tricks of the trade. It wasn't long before she was turning out team afghans and personalized blankets. Requests for children's' hats became commonplace, and after turning out a handful, more and more people would ask Leibig about when she would start selling her work."Everyone would ask if I ever thought of selling my hats at craft shows, and that's how we got started at the Palmerton festival," she said.Nowadays, Danielle's Crochet Shoppe turns out anything and everything homemade, from Peppa Pig to Pokemon to every sports franchise you can think of. This will be Leibig's fifth year at the Palmerton Community Festival, and she is looking forward to offering some great deals on her handmade gifts.With countless hats, afghans and keychain holders crafted over a dozen years, Leibig still remembers her roots when it comes to crocheting."It formed a very special bond between my mother and I, something that we look back on pretty often," she said. "There's many memories of us making our inventory throughout the year. It has come to the point where we almost always have a hook and yarn in our hands."