Rochelle Hylton, Crafter I moved to Asheville with my husband, Andre and son, Alexander in 2011. The name Xanikton is a portmanteau of my son’s name. He was the inspiration behind my company. He had co-occurring conditions of Autism and Down Syndrome, and as a result he needed a lot of accommodations. He unfortunately, passed away in December of 2021. He loved people and this is one of the ways that I honour his memory. I started making jewelry with a few of my special needs parent friends as a way to relieve the stress and isolation of being care-givers for our children. Over the years it became something of a passion and has evolved into what it is today. I have always enjoyed being a maker, and have dabbled in other crafts from woodworking, to sewing, and now jewelry-making, 3D-printing, and laser cutting and engraving. The fact that people like my work and find it useful is extremely rewarding and encouraging to me. The main focus for my jewelry is to make it accessible to those with strength, dexterity, and mobility issues. I use closures that are easier to manipulate than the standard lobster or spring ring clasps, such as magnets, toggles, hook clasps, or no closures. I also make my own clasps so that they will fit the style of jewelry that I create. As a happy accident, a friend pointed out to me that my chainmaille jewelry can be used as fidgets for those that need it. I also create humorous stickers, with future plans for other products.
