I had made a crochet dress 40 years ago when I was expecting my son, but now I’m an addict of the hook. Shaila Chandavarkar For Shaila Chandavarkar Panday, life is all about giving back and living through her travels. She says, “Celebrities like Saurav Ganguly, Deepika Padukone, model Vaishali Desai, Vasundhara Das and China Gloves Dotting Machine Factory many others have been my clients. She runs Enchanting Escapades, a travel club for women by women organising enchanting trips for all and accessible trips for women with special needs. However, travelling has always been my passion and I realised that a lot of single people would like to travel with like-minded people and would be happy to leave travel arrangements to someone capable who understands their needs. We also take care of any special needs to be met by the senior citizens in the group.
While travelling, I realised that knitting needles were not permitted to carry, so I decided to take on a crochet project. I also go to all the sight-seeing spots that my co-travellers want to see sometimes even if it is not on the itinerary, leaving enough time for shopping. A member of the Silver Surfers Bazaar, she got to showcase and sell her handcrafted products that she has been knitting since she was six.”. I’m inundated with orders during the festive seasons. And that’s not all; she also makes chocolate and crochet with great gusto. Joseph’s College, she did intensive practical training in optometry and contact lens fitting and is the proprietor of Opto Opticians.For Shaila Chandavarkar Panday, life is all about giving back and living through her travels.”
Shaila also likes to bake and knit.”The 70-year-old silver haired go-getter states, “To make it easier, I undertake the responsibility of booking air tickets, obtaining visas and transport from and to the airport at actual costs. I have conducted tours to Sri Lanka, Odisha, Khajuraho, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, Rann of Kutch and now, we are planning a trip to Rajasthan in October and Bhutan next summer. Singing, dancing, tarot card reading and meditation are just some of the fun things we do. Everyone liked trying the six-feet masala dosa in Munnar. My grandchildren are willing models and it is my grandson’s fondness for Angry Birds that initiated me into crocheting the entire set.A graduate from St. I ensure that the hotels are decent and the food is healthy and tasty. We have a knit wit circle (a hobby group formed at Bangalore Club), where we undertake charity projects like knitting caps for children battling cancer and bed socks/neck warmers for the needy in old age homes. “I knit baby layettes and it’s only recently that I’ve started selling them. This is how Enchanting Escapades came into being. I’m also into chocolate making