why is gen-z so obsessed with crochet? (crochet-tok & quiet activism) 

omg thank u for the love ❤ I love the crochet community you’re all so wholesome 😊

I think what bothers me most about crochet in fast fashion is that there's not even a good opportunity for crocheters to sell their crochet. A lot of people don't sell their completed pieces and instead sell the pattern because the price they'd have to sell the piece at to account for yarn + time + effort would be too expensive for anyone interested.

I’m obsessed with crochet because I feel like I have more control over my wardrobe and it feels unique.

as a gen z male, I got into crochet during 2020 because I needed a hobby during lockdown and knitting was harder 😭

I know why!! It’s fun!! It’s challenging!! You get a cute stuffed toy or a cuddly blanket as a reward at the end!

I have been crocheting for years. My grandma and mom taught me how. Honestly because I know crochet can’t be machine made, I often think “I love this but there’s no way someone got paid well enough at that price” or “I could make that myself” or “that is the correct price but I don’t have nearly that much money” whenever I pass crochet work in stores

As a med student who crochets, I receive so many comments like how do I get the time and stuff like that. And now that I think about it, it started in the pandemic, but now it's also about no dedicating every second of the Day to medicine. Which May be a way to reject the expectations of the med student that only studies, and doesn't have time for their friends or actually anything.

i feel like a lot of times crochet isnt rlly "slow fashion" because ppl make projects just for fun or boredom and then never wear them

literwally crocheting while i watch this 🤪this was so insightful, i hadn't thought about the actual reasons for the resurgence and/or disappearance of crochet as a trend and hobby. Love it!

i've been seeing more and more machine knit objects being labeled as crochet in big stores as crochet has become more trendy. it's really sad to me that these corporations are trying to profit off of a craft that's impossible to mass produce by lying about their products and intentionally mislabeling their products in order to be "trendier"

Well done video! I've been into crochet well before the pandemic, but it is so exciting to see it become so popular in today's crafting space. I hope it is here to stay.

i know i sound like a gatekeeper but i stand by the fact that you do not deserve to wear crocheted garments if you are not making it yourself or buying it from an independent artist.

Loved the video! I haven't learned how to crochet yet but I started sewing recently and I would add that one of the things that really makes me love these kinds of hobbies is simply being able to immerse your attention in something other than a screen... also, I feel like even if you start crafts with no political intentions, it's kind of impossible not to think about it. I mean, I have been reading about fast fashion and the environment for years now but *actually* making something with your own hands just hits different because now you're face to face with all the labor involved and how little *you* would be payed considering the cost of the materials alone.

I'm crocheting as I listen to this lol. I started crocheting at least 15 years ago. I focused more on stuffed animals and such- I just enjoyed having a hobby that gave me something cute and tangible at the end! I actually started off with knitting and learned that crochet was easier for the types of projects I wanted to do.

I started crocheting in June last year after my Nanna passed away, I have always been drawn to ‘turn your brain off’ hobbies and it helped me to crawl out of my grief at the time, now a year on I have crocheted almost every day since I started and I never see myself stopping, it has brought me so much creative release and also education on fast fashion, and a surprisingly amazing community in my city and online. I’m so happy that my generation have revived this beautiful craft

great video :) Been crocheting for 15ish years I'm very much enjoying this crochet resurgence. I've always found it frustrating that "craft work" is deemed lesser than other arts or skills when it's so rich in history. I feel so connected to the world and generations of women and artisans before me when I crochet. If you're new to crochet please don't be intimidated by reading crochet chart patterns, I promise once you understand them (it won't take you along) they are much easier to follow than a video. The 2000's also saw a huge push in amigurumi in the western crochet scene as well. Patterns, pictures, and video tutorials that broke down language barriers were able to spread easily around the world via the internet, and lots of Japanese kawaii aesthetics were being borrowed by alt kids in the west. Amigurumis were also much easier to sell on emerging marketplaces like Etsy.

Im a teen and started crochet about 2 years ago. Its the best hobby i ever learned and feel awesome that i have a whole skill.

I’ve know the basics of how to crochet since before I can remember but only in the past few months have I actually started learning how to read patterns and make unique things that I love. I’m big on minimizing my footprint and being more mindful of what I buy so taking the time to make a unique sweater and dress and add embroidery details and things like that has opened up my world to make unique high quality items that actually fit me and that I cant possibly afford to buy from ethical places. I also love giving thoughtful gifts and learning how to make something that is specific to that persons interests and then spend 30+ hours making it for them over the course of a few months is a way I can portray my love to someone. So yeah I really like crochet.

I learned how to knit when i was 13 and didn't pick it up again till lock down and now I've made most of my winter wardrobe!

I got into crochet again in 2020, I initially learned from my grandma when I was a kid. It was so rewarding to make projects and gift them to people I love!

I got recommended this since I’ve been looking into crochet videos. I tried to get into it during lockdown, but I didn’t understand it and gave up until a couple weeks ago, when I decided to get back into it as a new hobby, inspired by a video by Made in the Moment about MCY. What appeals to me about it is how I can create things like blankets out of what seems like a simple resource, yarn, as well as how I can do something that’ll satisfy the part of my brain that constantly wants be productive while giving myself a quiet, fun time. Plus, it’s another excuse to listen to long-form RU-vid videos.

I love that you researched the background history of this craft! It's really good to hear that "crochetivism" is (and was) always a thing that a lot of us hold onto in this community

I'm on the knitting side of TikTok and Instagram most of the time but the rise of crochet as both a hobby and an art form is incredible to see - I wonder about how these crochet works will compare over time and if it become a staple like knitwear or be considered a trend of the 2020s

Great job! I just started crocheting this year. My mom had bought crotchet supplies probably about 10 years ago and hasn't really used them because it was hard to learn how to back then, like you said it was basically a book or old videos that weren't zoomed in. I was looking for something to do that would keep me off my phone. So basically I've replaced doom scrolling with crotcheting because it feels more productive and it shuts my mind off.

Crochet for me is an art form. I happen to get wearable items at the end of each project which is better than trying to find space on the wall for another painting. I love wearing unique garments. I love mixing colours in individual ways. I like not using patterns but making it up as I go. Making is where it's at.

I am millennial and I've been knitting since 2009 and have been wanting to pick up crochet to supplement what I can do...started crocheting this year and I've loved it. I had no idea it was a huge trend 🤣 I'm appreciating all the cool patterns from gen z tho!!

I’m a 40 year old (so an older millennial). I learned crochet basics at a school club at age 11. My grandmother and mum taught me to knit a bit but I never loved it. Then at age 20 my very crafty future MIL refreshed my crochet knowledge and taught me more stitches. Most of her projects were embroidered items just bordered in crochet with cotton. Which was fine, but I started to search for videos as I was and still am obsessed with RU-vid. Of course it was much harder back then to find content but I knew enough to start figuring things out on my own. The problem I see now is very inexperienced/new crocheters jumping in making content or selling patterns that are unfortunately of terrible quality. These days when paying for pattern, it’s not always possible to figure out if it will be well graded and have been properly tested. Of course the use of crochet in fast fashion is a big problem. And not even always actual crochet! Oftentimes, it’s machine-knit fabric made to imitate crochet. Yes, any crocheter can spot it easily, but your average fashion consumer wouldn’t necessarily know. This further devalues handmade items. As others have noted, the difficulty with making and selling crocheted items means that instead, creators turn to selling patterns, and as I said before, these aren’t great quality most of the time. Similar things happen with knitting but it’s often impossible to tell if something has been totally hand knit or has had matching knitting incorporated too. Even smaller sellers crank out machine knitted garments, and this is kind of becoming a craft all of its own, but still sold as “handmade” just not “hand knit”. It’s crazy that when something is done by women, it’s often not even considered a craft but purely a hobby, or just what women did in the past to help clothe their families or make items for their homes. Yet men’s handicraft’s mean their makers are “craftsmen”, a well regarded term, and when men engage in fibre crafts, their work is art, and they’re considered artists. I’m making generalisations, but you get the picture. I even see this in crochet, and RU-vid crochet content. Out of all crocheters, men make up very, very few. And while there are fewer male than female crochet content creators, I get surprisingly many of them suggested to me, sometimes daily! I also will say most are also white. So I have to go hunting sometimes to find crochet inspiration from women around the world- because it’s a worldwide craft. As I was born in Chile and still can speak Spanish, I seek out Latin American crochet content (such as Majovel Crochet- she has an English Channel too) as the designs are great and quite different to the designs from English speaking channels. Black American women crocheters also have some great stuff too, with a well known favourite being TL Yarn Crafts. I even speak just enough Italian to admire Il Filo Rosso’s stunning designs that I still haven’t found an English standard equivalent for, particularly for fingering or laceweight yarn. As much as I do also enjoy young mainstream crochet RU-vidrs (such as Jenna Phipps), I don’t love the reliance on granny stitch/granny squares, lack of garment shaping (the boxy sweaters) and chunky or DK yarn (I’m loving the drape of fingering weight and sock yarn).

As someone who despises fast fashion and has made a lot of effort to not buy from any fast fashion brands new as much as possible for years now (I still slip up occasionally but that’s okay) ive nearly either thrifted or made my entire wardrobe. I find it a lot of fun to plan an outfit for an event 6 months in advance and thrift what supplies I can and make it thoughtfully in ways I know I’ll be able to wear for years instead of running out and buying a cheap dress for an event. It’s more work but worth it for sure.

I got into crochet last summer after being influenced by a good friend of mine who has been crocheting for ten years! I actually had no idea that the crochet boom online had started in 2020, and thought it was much more recent, but maybe it's just because I started tuning into it more recently.

I just started crocheting seriously this past month. My grandmother thought me when I was a kid but I recently wanted to feel creative and it gives me that outlet. I also feel really accomplished when I create a piece I can actually wear. So far I’ve made two crop tops and I’m making matching shorts for one of them. I’ve feel like I’ve finally found something my adhd brain can stick with and I have so many more ideas for clothing I want to make 💙

I love how educational this video was. It's been about 4 years since I took crocheting as a serious hobby, and even before the pandemic, I was introduced to it through a friend, though, I wasn't very good at it then. I was really happy to see more and more people on social media learning how to crochet and really pushing pass the limit of creativity when it comes to what you can make and design with it.

Personally I’ve wanted to start crocheting since I was little because we always bought those crochet kits from Costco to make these dolls for all types of shows such as star wars but nobody in the house could figure it out. Not even my mom who could knit or my grandma who used to crochet a bit. Then last year we went to an art shop with a bunch of crochet pattern books and kits and we bought one amigurumi book and a crochet kit for me and my sister to learn together because it was our dream since we were little. I ended up learning it alone near the end of the school year and now at this point I make anything crochet for any reason but mostly for gifts.

I sometimes describe my crochet as my fidget toy.

i started crocheting right after the pandemic and what i love most about crochet is when i finish a piece and put all those hours of work in it i just feel so proud to wear something or use something that i made myself. i also get compliments from strangers when they see it and its the greatest thing ever😊

I started crochet also in the pandemic but the main reason was that I couldn’t find cute clothes in my size where I live so I found a way to make them myself. Now it is my main hobby, it turns my brain off and I can forget about my job, stress and anxiety while crocheting. It is rewarding and you can always challenge your brain a little bit more each project💕

Crochet is definetily form of art and expression, slow fashion and accessible hobby to me. Costs a lot less than many other hobbies. Sure yarn costs money, but compared to supplies, classes, outfits or travel costs of other hobbies, not that much. But I also do small things and I don’t use expensive yarns.

I started crochet when I was 18, which was 22 years ago now. It’s been wild watching it go from rarely seen to mainstream. I have found that most brands claiming to sell crochet are selling a knitted facsimile, created by machine. Even Taylor Swift’s dress and the viral Miu Miu scrap purse are fake crochet posing as the real thing. I wish brands would be clear that it LOOKS like crochet. It’s not actually.

I started crocheting after 2020 because i saw tutorial of hyperbolic plain crochet from mathematician. I thought that if he can do it without any training whatsoever - then I can too. Then I saw a pattern of horseshoe crab and decided it'll be cool to make it, then a lot of other amigurumi, and now I can read graphic patterns (and honestly I prefer them in a doilies, they're very convinient as in you don't have to crawl through wall of text, plus usually you don't even have to remember a lot of symbols unless you go out of your way to find complicated piece) and am slowly doing my own clothes.

personally, i got into crochet because my grandma was bored one day and wanted to teach me. love you granny! 🕊️

as a gen z crocheter, i actually got into it from a young age as i got yarn and hooks from my aunt for a birthday along with being gifted some old crochet books from my moms boss. i lost the hooks for a couple yrs but then my aunt gifted me a new hook set last year and ive picked it up permanently as one of my favourite hobbies❤

I'm so glad you used clips of Jenna Phipps because she was all I would listen to when I would crochet! I showed my friend a picture of her and she said that she was ugly. And I was like 'thats no the point.' 😕Lets just say Im not her friend anymore. Anyway, great video!

The main reason I crochet is being able to make stuffed animals, decor, or clothing from shows or games I really like. It’s like throwing my personality into my everyday things.❤

Because people are soooo over fast fashion. We’re all wanting cute clothes that actually fit and aren’t made with toxic plastic and slave labor

I've been crocheting since I was literally 7, so 8 years, but I only recently started picking it back up again earlier this year. I couldn't tell you why even if I wanted to lol, but I do crochet like small pieces before this year, but now I feel patterns are more accessible, which I love!

Honestly crochet and knitting leads to consumerism as well. The cheapest way to take up the craft is to buy acrylic and polyester yarns, and I don't know how many people just crochet and knit constantly without considering if the stuff they're making will actually be used.

watching this while crocheting rn

This was such a fascinating deep dive into crochet lore - thanks for making this video, really enjoyed it!

Less time on social media - more time to crochet - more dopamine from completed garments ❤

Personally, in my country we have a subject named Home Economics where they teach you craft manship so students learn to crochet in on their 3rd year into secondary schools. Thus a lot of people continue to do so later on as a hobby and as it is deemed as pretty accessible craftsman hobby. I've been crocheting since 2016 and I love seeing a new boomed into it as I get more free tutorial and patterns😂

My grandma taught me to crochet years ago; I only did it really to spend time with her. She died recently and left me her crochet things. It's so exciting when I look on the internet now and see so many patterns and styles that are actually fashionable and it's so much easier than learning it from a book or magazine. I've been finishing my grandmas old projects too which she never got the chance to. It's a very productive way of grieving hahah.

i love to make my own stuff I like to make everything from scratch from my own food to bricks of my house crochet feels amazing it's a freeing experience .. like i can manifest my true self in clothing items and furniture and express myself

Crochet is a privilege now. Im millenial, from latin america and i dont have any job at the time, so i crochet things all day. I've been selling crochet pieces since 2010, and of course people was interested on crafts but now is crazy. Maybe Gen z are students with a lot of time like me, or depressed people, who knows haha But i see a lot of rich people selling crochet like dresses or cardigans at really high prices, BUT! they have money, and time! Middle class ppl like me, only sell small crocheted things like hats, and once in a blue moon! 😢

Dude this video is so well made! I’m a guy and got into crochet like a year ago? I’ve done markets where I sell my crochet plushies. To me why I love crochet is because I enjoy working with my hands, counting/math, and making silly little creatures. Also if i can make extra income off of that that’s a win.

when the only memory I got from my grandma was her calling me over to check the size of the cardigan she was making for me, of course i freaking love crochet 💖

I’ve been crocheting since I was like 9. My grandma taught me. She made blankets for the children’s hospital.

I’m probably not going to remember anything from this video, but I love the insight and view points. I’m a gen z person and I adore crochet things, actually I’m working on a project right now😭 and I’m making my own graph

Been crocheting since the late 90s when I was in elementary school!

I just started crochet a week ago and i am hooked. I have tried it before but i just did not get it and would insert my hook in the wrong places and got frustrated and threw it to the side. Last week i thought lets just try it again and this time it just clicked. I am making a blanket with single crochet with 2 colors. And i a making a amigurumi penguin from a kit a bought on temu. I think it’s a good mental health tool i have a racing mind alot. And withr crochet i can just start counting stiches and focus on something else

This video was so well done! I personally love crochet but the mainstream popularity is problematic when fast fashion becomes involved. These prices also encourage people to undervalue the work of fiber artists and expect crochet clothing and goods to be cheaper than they should be.

i was actually crocheting a blanket for my friend the entire time while watching this video lmao. i got into crochet during late 2021 because i wanted a yellow blanket to throw over the back of a couch for a future apartment someday :) said blanket looks terrible (im a painter and digital artist so i already know the drill of not expecting your first work to be amazing) but ive kept with it because i like the process of making things with my hands and its very useful for my ADHD to have something to fidget with, especially during work because i functionally have nothing else to do there and there's no one around to stop me. i also recently picked up knitting, which is very fun. i think in a way, having the ability to just make things that you might need or want (scarves, hats, sweaters, socks, blankets etc) makes you feel like you have more control over what you own because you have to be really committed to having that thing. plus, when a lot of things end up looking the same because That's How Capitalism Works, you will never find the same crocheted object, even if the people are using the same pattern or yarn. it allows people to have the power to make choices and the ability to exist more as an individual rather than just another "cog" in this hellscape of a fictitious machine

I found out about crochet when I was younger, same with knitting then I stopped doing both and picked them back up during the pandemic and well now I make things to wear. Personally I am addicted to creating things no matter what it is so that’s also a point as to why I like it. Also the fact of it’s cute and you get the rush of wow I done that me 😊

That's an excellent discussion of crochet history! Thank you. I learned from my gran, 35 plus years ago, and it was the fun of creating as well as a way to occupy me.

I love crochet (and knitting) because it’s really cool that I can create things with my hands! I’ve always wanted a hobby and I’m so happy that I finally do! It’s really upsetting that it’s trickled into fast fashion, but I hope people make the right choice when it comes to these items.

I feel as though after 2020 more and more people are taking time for themselves to be able to complete or start projects. I always loved crocheting but during and after the pandemic I started to make things I actually like and now I crochet practical things such as clothing

wonderful video, really loved the history section, super interesting!

I gravitate towards crochet as a gen z girl, for me it’s because I am an artist. I always wanted to be able to sell my art when I grew up and crocheting is one of the easiest ways to create and still be able to sell it. Painting and sketching has fallen out of favor, it’s incredibly difficult to get paid at all for doing it. Sewing is also hard to make any money from because all fabric is super expensive!!! Sculpting also isn’t lucrative…. Neither is embroidery, etc. i do many art forms and crochet just happens to be the easiest to work with and sell.

I wanted to add in a small bit about Irish crochet history, it was a way for families to survive, and often times a family would crochet a singular motif, the next family down the road would crochet a different motif, and this would continue to different parts of the village, the county, the country. Men would then buy those motifs off of the family (for next to nothing) and oftentimes ship these motifs off to be joined together to form a blanket. An irish family would almost never crochet a full project during that time, probably because a singular motif was easier to teach to a husband or young children, also with a forced famine, it was probably easier for you brain to remember the few instructions for a singular motif rather than a full blown usable pattern. I cannot see many people back then making a shawl during a cold winter when they could use the materials to make a motif to sell, especially when there was fishermen who sold their own tools for money, getting rid of a readily available source of food just to buy grain or tickets onto a coffin ship for their them and their families. There's also this superstition with Irish crochet/knit that you're meant to work a mistake into your projects so any negative feelings you had during the project can escape- I can't figure out when this superstition came about but it is an interesting superstition to have when entire families across the nation where probably making numerous mistakes in a craft that helped them survive due to reduced brain and motor functions, and frankly probably had many negative thoughts and feelings as they're being starved, their families dying, their animals dying, the crops they do have without blight are being taken by absentee landlords to be sold, and if they don't sell those crops to the landlord, then they're forced out of the house and the house would be burnt. All this makes it hard to believe that this superstition would have existed before the famine (but again, I cannot trace when that superstition began so take that part with a grain of salt lol)

Excellent video, well researched, and I learned a lot! Love to see more of these commentary style videos from you.

I m currently making an adorable 70s inspired shrug and its taking ages!!!! I liked listening to their whole crocheting

Thank you very much for your informative video and all the links in the description box: lot of researching work and lot of thinking for people know.

Hmm fascinating content - thanks Charli!

i crochet now because as a kid i was taught it by my vietnamese mom who was taught it as a kid also by her vietnamese mom, my grandma. i also have a filipino friend who also was taught to crochet by her grandma. i have no idea what it is but i think there is an element of the comeback of crochet that has to do with southeast asian gen z having a larger voice now than a few years ago. like genuinely i am so curious as to why both of these very old, born and raised outside the us women know crochet like the back of their hand, like doesn’t crochet seem like a very western trend? just throwing out a possibility of another element of crochet history but i really don’t know anything for sure it may just be a really weird coincidence 😭

really interesting stuff! i’ve never thought about the politics of crochet, tbh i wasn’t even aware there were politics associated with crochet lol. but it all makes a lot of sense!

I took up crochet because my grandma used to crochet and after she passed in 2020 I wanted to feel close to her. But also it's nice to be able to make myself and my family things now that I know what I'm doing

I always joke that I have old ppl hobbies 😂 been crocheting for forever. I even bring my projects to my welding job and work on them during my breaks. Now I’m thinking about your point about free time. Sometimes I just get so excited for the end result.

i watched this video while i was crocheting a really cute bag 😋😋😋

not me realizing watching this half way in while crocheting too😂 great insights!

I wish 90's and early 00's crochet/knitwork boom could have also been mentioned. There is so much there that could be used as comparison also showing some darker aspects of activist fashion becoming a trend with how the grunge aesthetic eventually resurfaced too with a capitalist tint

crochet is an antidote to depression and anxiety - no drugs needed ❤

My grandma used to crochet blankets with her church for children in need so I grew up around it and was inspired by it. I got inspired again when I started to find more crafting hobbies like bracelet making and clay art. I saw how cute the plushies were and wanted to make them too. But since learning some I want to try clothes and things as well. Its so fun and relaxing and you get and item you personally made. 🥰

Subscribing 5 mins in. Fantastic video already!!

I learned how to crochet a few years before the pandemic. I learned purely because I thought it would be a good skill to have in case of the apocalypse happening. I know its a very odd reason to learn a craft, but I thought its a really useful and versatile craft that could be used in so many survival situations.

Thank you for making this video! I’ve been crocheting for about a year and a half. I have noticed that a lot of fast fashion advertised as crochet is actually an open weave knit made by machines for what it’s worth. I got into crochet bc I wanted to make a gift for my bestie. I joined a crochet/knit/craft group on FB and it was a very supportive space to encourage me to learn. 🙏🏻

excellent video - i think crochet is a great lesson in how arts & crafts can be healing for our soul, and trying to link them into capitalist trends just causes problems. crochet is meant to be slow, and intentional, and loved and cozy and homey. maybe it doesn't need to be mass produced - maybe people SHOULD have to learn to do it themselves to own it, or understand it as a token of love and dedication when given as a gift. i think it's a good reminder to slow down and remember how much work it takes to make Stuff

I would say that a lot of fast fashion crochet and crochet sold in big stores is not real crochet. It’s machine knit that’s meant to look like crochet. But when you have a store bought crochet piece and a real handmade piece you can absolutely tell a person didn’t hand make the one from the store. Not saying that no fast fashion has real crochet but I would wager that a lot of it isn’t real crochet

I learned how to crochet when I was a child, from my grandma, but I wasn't really interest in doilies at the time. 😂 I relearnef in my 20s & have been crocheting ever since! I'm 40 now and still crochet, usually amigurumi for my kids, or blankets for friends' babies, etc. I want to get into fashion crochet, but a plus size woman in her 40s it's hard to find anything that I would feel comfortable in. 🥲

I feel like with the crochet history background there's two main different variation/classes- the oldest being the type who made rugs and blankets and curtains and did other thicker woven crafts including jewellery and macrame in places like Turkey, Tunisia, South America and South Asian. Then the was the other of lace based crochet very popular with middle eastern/South Asian countries that was taken a liking to by Euopean higher classes and white Asian and stayed in Middle Eastern too etc. 💕💕

I’ve been crocheting since I was 6 and knitting since 13. I got into it because my mother was making an American flag blanket for my grandfather (he’s a vet and this was pre-9/11, so it didn’t have the connotation it does now) and she recruited me to help crochet the stars. She wasn’t going to sit there and make 50 by herself lol I mainly crochet household stuff. Blankets, baskets, pot holders, pillows, dog beds, coasters, etc. I have a strong preference for knit for clothing. Crochet tends to look chunky and not have amazing drape, and I’m not a huge fan of the look of crochet stitches in clothing. But all those things make for great house goods. I won’t crochet in public because I get really tired of three types of interaction: 1) omg are you pregnant? (I already grew up ultra religious. I don’t need more spaces where all I am allowed to think about is babies. Leave that out of my hobby! Why can’t I just make things because I want to??) 2) Make me one / how much for one / I could get that at Walmart for less. 3) I wish I had time to do that / “subtle” shaming for not making my whole life about children / them needing to be a martyr because they made different choices but feel that their decision is morally correct for everyone and makes them better than me. I just wish people weren’t so judgmental about what strangers do. The grocery bag in crocheting on my work break isn’t a political statement or an invitation to interrupt me and make my hobby about you. Just let me crochet in peace. And you DO have time for it. If you’ve got time to make condescending comments, you’ve got time to crochet. You’ve chosen to do something else with that time or just like the idea of crochet more than the action of it. And that’s fine. Not everything is for everyone. Just don’t shame me for making a decision different from yours. We can both be valid and happy in our different circumstances.

If I had to charge for my Crochet Work at a fair wage value, it would easily surpass 100 for plushies 😅

Me personally I got into crocheting since it was something that I saw both my mom and grandma doing and i got curious. In fact a lot of the older women in my family crocheted and so I began doing it as well when I was 11.

i just decided to do it cause my mom bought a kit and never used it, now im making clothes, plushies and learning to knit 💀

This is a very interesting take on a history of crochet that doesn't resemble what I remember at all.

It's just a fun hobby for a lot of people. Doesn't have to be a business for everyone. I think it's cool that younger people are into it. However, I do get very angry when I seek mocked versions of crocheted clothes in stores. That is so unfair to those who spend the time to hand make the items. The details and quality are typically better when you buy homemade items. Aside from the few artists who overestimate their abilities and think they too can make stuff that's up to the standards of the average person. We used to be able to tell people that you can't crochet with a machine, which, I know you still can't, but now they found a way to make something that looks like crochet. Until you get close and see that the stitches aren't looped onto one another.

Also just wanted to add that I really enjoyed this video! And to say that another thing to explore is the way that AI is also causing big problems for people wanting to find crochet patterns.

I started crocheting recently and it’s so much fun, although i have to balance it with my other pursuits because i’m an artist and have too many hobbies

Excellent video. Ive been crocheting for around 20 years. My gran taught me how. I do other kinds of art just generally creative endeavours are very satisfying to me. I love putting on a crocheted ball gown or cardigan or dress or shirt and people asking where i got it because they want one. My answer: it cost 30 quid and around 32 hours 😂 the gowns take considerably longer them skirts is a grind lmao 🤣 i don't even use patterns anymore i just wing it. Ive always had a sort of out there fashion sense. I like what I like and i don't care if u think its silly to wear 😂 im also quite petite but curvy and most clothes i buy have to be bought big and altered on the sewing machine so i don't look short and fat. Making my own just makes sense to me. I can completely customise the fit colour fabric texture and shape. It always fits perfectly because it was made for me. Its also reusable. My friend had a blanket her grandmother made her that she gave to her baby. She adored it but it got old and someone teased her about having a baby blanket on a school camping trip. So with discussion we made it into a cardigan and a scarf. Later when she was 16 we used it to make a beautiful lacey shrug to go over her wedding dress in the evening. And just recently it became a teddy bear for her first born who is expected in around 4 months, with the leftovers made into a little keepsake bag for the mum. Old loved and damaged items can be frogged and in most cases reused to make something new. With all the memories and sentiments of the original carried forward. ❤ If you have hands and time anyone can learn to do it. Its accessible. Its not overly hard once u have the basic stitches since all the fancy stitches are just varying repeats of the basic ones for the most part. ❤

This is so true !

My grandmother and mother taught me how to knit, crochet, and sew. I generally make things for myself or for gifts. A few times a year I will take a commission project. Generally a graphgan. Sometimes a plushie or clothing item.

I have been crocheting as a hobby for about 20 years - picking it up as a daily task in the pandemic. I think it stands for slow fashion/anti capitalistic trends however.... its surge in popularity has quickly made it a space of mass consumption and a new variety of fast fashion. Now instead of Shein hauls, we see yarn hauls, instead of buying clothes to fit our trends -- we see "how many bralettes can I make in a day" videos. Which is fine and is theoretically better, but i do worry for the idea that we are suffering from a different head of the same snake. I also worry for these "girl boss" tendencies to monetize their crochet and sell on etsy, dpop, markets... and the physical strain it has on our bodies. Those of the 70s are able to crochet INTO their 70s because they did not wreck their wrists and hands in mass producing cat beanies to exist in our capitalistic world....

Watching this as I crochet 😅😊