UGA student business “Wool By Lindsey” sells flowers that never die | Athfest | redandblack.com

Lindsey Nguyen, a PhD student in educational psychology at the University of Georgia, sold crochet flowers on South Lumpkin Street. Nguyen is the founder of "Wool by Lindsey," a small business that sells crochet flowers. (Photo/Mattea Brown)

Lien “Lindsey” Nguyen, Vietnamese instructor and PhD student in educational psychology at the University of Georgia, sells flowers that never die. At a table on North Campus, jars filled with roses, sunflowers, daisies, forget-me-nots, tulips and camellias are crocheted entirely from 100% sustainable milk-cotton.

Nguyen began crocheting in fifth grade after her classmate crocheted a hat for her. She said that she thought it was “so cute” that she asked her friend to teach her and they learned together from YouTube videos. She began to make hats and scarfs for her family as often as she could.

Nguyen began her crochet flower business, “Wool By Lindsey,” in April of 2023 and continues to sell year round at farmers markets and festivals all over Georgia. She first sold to her friends and then on the sidewalk at Five Points. Since then, she has expanded to the West Broad Farmers Market and the Oconee Farmers Market, as well as traveled to over 20 different markets and festivals by April of 2024 this year.

Additionally, Nguyen held vendor booths at Indie South’s Springtacular at Bishop Park as well as the AthFest Music and Arts Festival on the weekend of June 21, 2024. According to Nguyuen, she believes her business is the first of its kind in Georgia.

“I think my product is very unique and I put all my heart into every production. It looks very pretty and everything is handmade,” Nguyen said.

She began to sell flowers on North Campus in front of Leconte Hall to aim her sales toward UGA students and strives to make flowers affordable for them. Her prices range from $5 to $25.

Kiet Le, Nguyen’s fiancé, and a current research fellow at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, received a UGA finance degree before studying Applied Economics at John Hopkins University. He proposed the idea to import the milk cotton from Vietnam to make products more affordable and environment-friendly.

“It’s so affordable that people were surprised.” Le said. “We had a few customers that ask[ed] us whether we’re just donating or selling at marginal cost.”

According to Le, Wool by Lindsey has made an estimated $15,000 from April to December of 2023 and an additional $20,000 since the beginning of 2024.

Le expects 10 to 15% of their profits to go toward sustainability or orphans in developing countries. Since both Nguyen and Le are from Vietnam, Le hopes to use those donations to help people in Vietnam to alleviate the barrier to quality education.

“I don't want finances to be a blocker to [a] good education,” Le said.

Additionally, he created a $10,000 scholarship for his own high-school, Riverside Preparatory Academy in Gainesville, Georgia, for international students with a preference for Vietnamese students.

The 100% sustainable milk cotton is made from casein powder found in milk and mixed with protein and cotton fibers to enhance the quality of softness. Common traits of milk-cotton include its eco-friendly, durable and hypoallergenic properties, according to Edin Yarn Fest.

“We don’t want to make tons of money out of it,” Le said. “We really want this to be a new trend where people appreciate sustainability.”

According to Le, this sustainability effort is what sets their business apart from competitors.

“We are so much different from [competitors] in terms of the quality of our flowers and the pricing, but also the marketing and the types of network we have,” Le said. “We use top quality yarn. And we never get complaints from the customer with their product.”

Ngyuen also sells other items, including crochet dolls, bags, keychains and other decor, some of which are available on Etsy and Amazon. Wool by Lindsey has seen tremendous growth since the crochet business began last spring. Her new store location located at the Mall of Georgia had its grand opening on June 21, 2024.

“I want to make the best [product] for the customer and also for Athens and UGA students. I sell [at a] cheap price for them. I just want them to [be] happy,” Nguyen said.

A previous version of this article included an incorrect spelling of a source’s name and year in school. The Red & Black regrets this error, and the error has since been corrected.

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