Imagine walking into Michaels and heading straight to the back. You may wonder what there is to discover. Well, that’s where you will probably find me and several others snooping around the shelves looking for the perfect yarn or crochet hook for our next project.
If you have any form of social media and you are into fashion you might have come across a video on crochet clothing or amigurumi (crochet stuffed animals). Ever since the beginning of the pandemic there has been an appearance of crocheting among Gen Z.
What is the reason for this?
I personally started to crochet during the pandemic. I was sitting in my room bored out of my mind during online school. I looked over to my craft supplies and realized that I could crochet. I had yarn and a hook from a Rainbow Loom (bracelet making kit) set, and I already knew how to knit so I was confident I could crochet. But, I really just wanted something to do with my hands.
According to Strike Magazine this was the case for a whole community of crocheters. The Gen Z crochet boom was born out of pure boredom. Sitting at home all day created a need to do something other than just watching movies. So, many people turned to different forms of crafting, one of those being crocheting. Since more people were crocheting, more people were posting about it on social media which led to an increase in crocheters.
Crocheting is also very easy to start doing. All you really need is yarn and a hook. Yes, if you really want to get serious you will need many different hooks and a lot of yarn. But, when just beginning you don’t need much.
One of the reasons people stuck to it was because crocheting is a form of slow-fashion and has the same pull as thrifting, which is also very popular among Gen Z, according to Grattan Street Press.
Crocheting also provides an outlet for stress and anxiety. For me, when I crochet I don’t think of anything else and this can help me calm down and relax. Crocheting allows you to focus on a repetitive motion which many people find to be calming.
But, how did people actually start crocheting? Well, no one really knows. The most solid theory, according to the Crochet Coach, is that it came from a Chinese style of needlework called “tambouring”. This is very similar to crocheting but it is on a fabric background. It supposedly traveled throughout Asia and Europe and in the 1700s someone discovered that the stitches were strong enough to hold their shape without fabric.
Now, back to today. If you want to start crocheting a good place to start would be your local craft store. The best beginner yarn is acrylic with a weight of 4. On the label of every skein of yarn there will be a picture of a little ball of yarn with a number on it indicating the weight. For the hook you should go for a wooden hook that is the recommended size for the yarn you got. But, in general a 5.00mm hook works for most yarns.
The easiest way to learn is to go on to Youtube and look up a beginner crochet tutorial. Start by making granny squares and other shapes. Then you can look at different stitches and start to actually make items.
Crocheting is a skill that can stick with you for a lifetime. It has become an outlet for many and is a craft that all can enjoy.
Here are some beginner friendly stitch/project tutorials:
