A Chinese crochet artist has turned what was a beloved hobby into a successful business that has provided a source of livelihood for many of her fellow villagers.

Zhang Huiling, a 68-year-old artist-turned-entrepreneur in Muli Village of Heze City in east China's Shandong Province, has been making crochet artworks for more than 50 years, using various types of yarn or thread and employing different stitches and techniques to create unique textures and patterns in her work. 
Zhang runs a studio where she teaches others the art of crochet. The place sells a wide array of colorful and vivid handmade creations such as paintings, accessories, toys and home decor items.
"Crocheting is different from [regular] painting. Crochet artworks show a three-dimensional sense, while the paintings are two dimensional. It took me about a week to finish this piece of work," Zhang told the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in a recent interview at her studio, while showing a piece of artwork featuring blossoming peonies.
For years, Zhang has devoted herself to teaching female villagers knitting crochet artworks in their spare time, and the skill has helped many women earn an extra income.
According to Zhang, she sells crochet products ranging for 60,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan (about 8,290 U.S. dollars to 13,820 U.S. dollars) every month, bringing her staff members hundreds to thousands yuan of income each.
Zhang said the local authorities have supported her business by helping promote her creations and that she can now help more people make a living by crocheting.
"Local government departments have been helping to promote our works. My business is growing fast. Now, around 6,000 villagers in more than 130 nearby villages have taken part in making crochet artworks," she said.
Zhang is now focusing on designing more fashionable products aiming to cater to younger customers.