A few years ago, it was nearly impossible to find people that crocheted. I was embarrassed at my “old lady” habit, and everyone was playing video games while my cat and I were equally amused. Suddenly, out of nowhere, crochet came back to the forefront of art, just like skinny jeans resurfaced from a distant past.
Why? And is it really resurfacing, or is it just a fad?
Naturally, I started looking up reasons behind why people were suddenly crocheting and knitting, and the only real reason I could find was that people are stressed. Crocheting is an excellent way to relieve stress and keep the brain free from all the other thoughts swimming around. However, stress has always been there, and it always will be. I still don’t understand why crochet is becoming popular again.
Of course, this is a wonderful thing! It is amazing that what was once considered a “lost art” is now an everyday occurrence. Forget buying a scarf from Walmart or Amazon, I’ll just make you one! Can’t find a hat that matches your new outfit? No big deal, I have some yarn over here that matches perfectly.
One main concern of mine is that most people seem to think that you can only make hats, scarves, and blankets. There is so much more to it though! Color changes, swirl patterns, tapestry crochet, and free-form crochet are all being forgotten. I do some of this and I know that several others do this as well (who am I kidding, I don’t even know how to do tapestry or free-form crochet with confidence), but the masses are still stuck on the same 1-color scarf and hat. Because of this obsession with simplicity, the crochet that I know and love is still a dying art. Hopefully, people will move forward and take risks to create a truly one-of-a-kind creation. This is the only way to keep crocheting and knitting from dying and not letting it become something that only shows up on the History channel. I still do not know anyone in their early 20s that crochet as I do… Maybe this is just a fad that is only catching on with people over 30? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think crochet is a fad- its my favorite kind of fiber art out there. I just hope that 30 years from now I won’t be the only one out there that still makes original pieces. Patterns are great, and I make projects from them all the time too, but making something that is uniquely yours is one of the greatest feelings.
For all my fellow crocheters/knitters out there, if you know people that crochet, encourage them to do things on their own and get out of their comfort zone! A pattern isn’t needed to create something truly magnificent. Maybe the problem is that since it is out of the comfort zone of a pattern, it is more stressful, which leads to more stress that when you got started.
Anyways, I would love to hear thoughts on this from people that are new to crochet or have been doing crochet for years like I have. Do you think it is still a dying art? Is this new popularity in crochet hurting your small business if it’s what you do for a living? If you’ve ever visited Etsy, take a look at how many crochet items look the same or are dirt cheap because it’s a hobby. I’m not saying this is wrong, but it is a little depressing for those that do what they love as a full time job…
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