Millenials and Gen Z choose crochet, knitting, and tufting over doomscrolling

Need a break from your electronic devices? An increasing number of millenials and the Gen Z are now taking to fun, crafty hobbies which include knitting, crochet, and tufting

Every other weekend at Cubbon Park in Bengaluru, a small group comes together. You might see them, heads bent over yarn or fabric, embroidering a denim jacket or crocheting a square. Rahul Jhadav, a 36-year-old content publisher who brought together this community says he always carries extra yarn, for people who spot them, and want to come and learn. 

We watched in delight when Olympian Tom Daley furiously knitted from the stands during the Paris Olympic games, and later, the joy with which American rugby player Ilona Maher received a crocheted medal pouch from him this year. A much-shared reel by @crochet_wizard on Instagram, shows him studiously crocheting, with the caption — “Millennials skipping past their ‘mid life crisis’ phase and going straight to granny hobbies”.

Today, pubs in India offer their spaces for crochet, knitting and art workshops, and elsewhere in the world, movie theatres even have knitting and crochet nights, where they leave the lights on so that you can indulge in your favourite hobby while watching a film. 

For the millennials and even the Gen Z desperate to get away from their screens and eagerly seeking creative outlets, there seems to be  no better time to knit, crochet, tuft, or embroider than the present. 

Rahul’s community, called Crafty, has been meeting up at Cubbon park for ten months now. “The idea was born out of wanting to have a picnic, while crocheting, knitting, embroidering, or even coming in to learn the basics. The park felt like a perfect backdrop for unwinding, and engaging with a community that is equally eager to indulge in these hobbies,” he says. 

For many, the pandemic proved to be a starting point into the world of threads, yarn and stitches. Chandhini Syed, a Chennai-based dancer and psychology student, remembers stumbling upon YouTube videos of people making clay charms, and crocheting. “My love language is gift-giving, and I was enthused by the idea of making cute things for myself as well,” she laughs. While she taught herself to crochet and began taking orders for small gifts, she loves the small but steadily growing community that seeks her out to learn how to make scarves or even small, cute keepsakes.  “Crochet makes me think, brainstorm, and even helps with my dance choreography,” she says. 

With around 90,000 followers on Instagram who eagerly wait for videos of his crochet creations, Mumbai-based Kunal Jaikumar Chourasia recalls learning from his grandmother when he was 10-years-old. “I however got back into the hobby during the lockdown, and began to post about my art online. What started off as an activity I looked forward to as a break from my hectic job is now something I have delved into full-time,” he says. Kunal sells his creations, and conducts classes and workshops for hobbyists, a majority of whom he says are between the ages of 22 to 30 years.