February 21, 2025/Midnight
Erie, PA- When you think of someone crocheting the thought of a little old lady sitting on her rocking chair crocheting a scarf for her grandchild might come to mind. However, in the past five years there has been increasing popularity with crocheting in the younger generations. Why would this activity that many people think of as a “grandma hobby” become a new viral sensation?
Back in 2020 during the pandemic, many people were forced to stay at home and try to find new ways to stay occupied. With TikTok on the rise, people found inspiration on the app for creative ways to stay busy. Many people began posting crochet project ideas and a wave of new people started to learn the hobby. At the time, it was the perfect activity for people to stay at home and do while they binge watched Tiger King. The TikTok crocheting community boomed with people coming up with challenges such as the temperature blanket; where each stripe on the blanket correlated with the average temperature of the week. Crocheting on social media created an outlet for people to share ideas and connect with others in a time of isolation.
Currently, crocheting is still a very popular hobby for many reasons. With Gen Z being more aware of the issues of fast fashion, such as its environmental and humanitarian concerns, they began switching to upcycling clothes by thrifting and switching to well-made clothes (even if more expensive.) Crocheting may be a pricey and time-consuming endeavor, but it allows for the creation of sustainable clothing that is durable, expressive and well fitted.
Also, there are many physical and mental health benefits which is why it has been so popular with older people. The activity is shown to be great for fine motor skills which can help those with arthritis. It also has been proven to greatly reduce stress and have cognitive benefits because of its rhythmic nature.
It is a great skill to have, especially during the holidays or a birthday. Often when the holidays come around such as Valentines, we get bombarded with all the products you should get your partner such as cheap teddy bears and boxed chocolates. Whereas creating a crochet gift that you put time and thought in reminds the person how much you care for them.
As a person that enjoys crocheting, one of my favorite things to do at the end of the day is to crochet while watching a show or listening to music. It is a great way to wound down after a long and stressful day. Also, there is just so much variety when it comes to crocheting from making clothing, stuffed animals, tapestries, decorations, and I have even seen people make crocheted jewelry. Even with the embarrassing number of unfinished projects and money spent on yarn, I would recommend crocheting to anyone as it is a great stress relief and creative outlet.
