Not far from campus you will see the most colorful window display. And not only does it look good, it’s wearable too. Because money is tight during college, one Castleton State College student is making a little extra cash selling her handiwork.

Leanne Wren, a senior at Castleton, crochets hats for anyone willing to buy. Her business, called Kongk Hats, that started about three years ago, is really taking off, she said.

Wren said she saw a girl selling hats once and thought it was a great idea. She contacted her grandma, learned the skill, and the rest is history.

“As long as people want hats I’ll keeps doing it,” said Wren.

Wren’s hats are durable throughout the harsh winter season. A lot of students wear them to go snowboarding on the mountain. Wren told a story about a friend rocking out so hard in his hat the pompom flew right off.

“I had to make a whole new way for the pom pom, I made it now so it will never fall off,” said Wren.

Carleigh Warfield, a junior at Castleton, is customer of Wren’s. Her hat is maroon, turquoise, and finished off with a pompom.

Warfield uses her hat to snowboard, but said it works well for her, in all chilly conditions.

“Its funny how fast and how hot a product it is,” said Warfield, gleaming about the hats and how inspirational it is.

Bailey Emilo, owner of a black and neon hat with a pink trim, says the hat keeps her head warm. She even wore it trick-or-treating this year.

“I knew it’d be a high quality hat at low cost,” said Emilo.

Lots of people compliment Emilo on her hat, which she said she designed herself.

Wren said every hat is customizable. No two hats are the same. She has over fifty different colors of yarn – making the possibilities endless.

Chris Lawson, a senior, talked about his white, brown, and baby blue hat, topped off with a pompom. He said he’s extremely satisfied with his hat and that they make a great gift item – even for your mom or dad.

“I use it for casual use and snowboarding,” said Lawson.

Kongk hats and scarf’s range from $15.00-$25.00. Wren also said she is looking into designing shirts for customers too. She hopes one day this side job will become full time, with a strong team by her side.

“Just let people know, I crochet, I don’t knit,” said Wren.

If your interested in buying a Kongk Hat, you can email Leanne at Leanne.wren@castleton.edu