Like the handcraft of quilting, crochet and knitting have made a comeback and Gen Z is firmly on board. Once again, TikTok and YouTube are at the center of it all, bringing what might have been seen as an outdated pastime of older women back into style as a current and cool trend. Now they’re handcrafting old and new designs, debating types of yarn, creating project challenges, providing tutorial videos, and showing off their creations. #knittok has more than a billion views.
Made With Love, compiling 30 of his knitting and crochet patterns. “I’d been knitting since March 2020, but no one really cared until they saw me do it at the Olympics,” Daley said in an interview with The Guardian. “I think some people thought I didn’t care about the Olympics, that I was just knitting. Some people thought it was brave to be knitting in public, and some thought: ‘What the hell is he doing?’” In any case, it certainly brought more interest in knitting as something to be embraced by younger generations and all genders.
Like Daley, many people started crafting during the pandemic, with knitting, crochet, and embroidery kits, needles, hooks, yarn, paint, and all other things even remotely crafty, selling like mad and delivered by Amazon right to their door. Since that time, the knitting and crocheting market has been growing consistently, showing that people haven’t put the needles down. Once again, the movement toward sustainability, use of organic, natural fibers, and recycled materials, as well as the desire for self-expression are driving the trends in this area. In November 2024, Elle noted a surging interest in handmade and small-batch knitwear on the runway. There was a celebration of varied texture, colors, and techniques that offer one-of-a-kind personalize, unique character, and truly show off the “hand” in “hand-crafted.” That’s exactly what the current generation craves: personal expression, in their clothing, accessories, and in their homes and workspaces.
The renewed excitement about knitting and crocheting is ironically a breath of fresh air. The community it has created has been described as both nostalgic and innovative. It is the tech-savvy and digitally connected younger generations who are enthusiastically diving into these centuries-old crafts and amplifying them as the “Cottagecore” aesthetic on TikTok and YouTube. By combining traditional techniques with contemporary aesthetics, they're reinventing fiber arts and making them relevant in today’s world, creating clothes, hats and other accessories, toys, homewares, wall art, and more. This trend reaches around the world and is evidenced by the new collections on the fashion runways. The increased interest in handmade crafts, therapeutic benefits of yarn crafting, and rise of online tutorials, global communities dedicated to the craft, and platforms for buying and selling handmade products all contribute a surging market today that looks to continue.
Despite being digitally connected, people still value authentic connections. As a crafter, you can easily find a global community dedicated to your craft with members sharing tips, patterns, and finished projects online. This sense of belonging fosters friendships and collaborations across borders and bridges generation gaps. The practices of knitting, sewing, and crocheting also allow us a way to disconnect from the digital for a time and engage in a tactile, real-world creative process. The repetitive motions of knitting and crocheting have a calming effect, reducing stress and anxiety. It's a perfect way to put down the phone, stop scrolling, unwind, recharge, and practice some much-needed self-care.
If you want to get started, drop by The Stitchery on St. Simons Island to pick up a beginner’s kit and pull up a tutorial or two. If you’re looking for a crafting community to join, the Marshes of Glynn Libraries offer Sip and Stitch gatherings Monday mornings at 10:00 a.m. and Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. in Brunswick where you’re invited to bring your stitching project, whether knit, crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, or quilt, and enjoy a cup of hot tea with fellow stitchers. All are welcome. The Golden Isles Fiberarts Guild has interest groups for Knit & Crochet, Quilting, Weaving, Hand Embroidery, Garment Girlz, and more. For more information and details about meetings and educational opportunities, visit goldenislesfiberartsguild.org.
