I walk through the aisles of Joann’s to scavenge for yarn for my next crochet project. The store is buzzing with old ladies, prowling for quilt and cross stitch supplies. The grandmas sense my weakness and converge on the yarn aisle. I lap around once, to avoid the crowded space, and see a fellow teenage girl rustling through the fabric scraps. She’s looking for a deal, and I respect her space, not wanting to make an enemy out of a possible territorial ally. I move back to the yarn, desperate for a new pink skein to complete the floral tote bag of my dreams. But alas, the grandmas remain, having won this craft store battle.

I’ve been crocheting for a little over a year at this point, and while I do not consider myself proficient, I have sunk quite a bit of time and money into the hobby. Originally, I was learning to crochet over COVID, desperate for a new activity away from my computer, but I eventually got bored. I never really made it past the basic stitches and didn’t even start my first project until seeing an influx of my peers picking up a crochet hook about two years later. However, my Pinterest was very quickly overflowing with patterns and inspiration that made me so excited to learn. Now I spend about an hour everyday crocheting.

The popularity of crochet among high schoolers is best captured by the crowd inside Mrs. Sammon’s classroom every B-Lunch on Wednesdays. There, the Crochet Club provides a space to learn and practice crochet, and for people to independently work on their own projects, under the supervision of sophomore Ryan Horn. She helps to foster a space that is both encouraging to new learners and fun for the experienced. Ryan herself first started crocheting because she saw it online and thought that it looked fun about three years ago. She also loves “connecting with others who crochet” and building a community around the craft. Many other classmates learned to crochet in response to COVID, with Sarah Moore explaining that she “got so bored” that she wanted to become more serious about the hobby she technically had had since about fifth grade.

Crochet has been around for centuries, albeit with murky origins from either southwest or east Asia. It was used by shepherds to pass the time during long days and by farmers during the Irish Potato Famine to supplement income. Nowadays, students crochet during lectures and class to help remain present and paying attention. Small businesses sell their projects on platforms like Etsy, with products such as small crochet animals or even clothing items.

The rise of “grandma hobbies” in teenagers, especially teen girls, can be attributed to things like their inherent benefits. Crochet can help relieve stress and can promote relaxation due to the repetitive stitches that make up every project. It also improves fine motor skills and helps to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. It is a valuable skill that results in a concrete reward for hard work and dedication, and it has quickly become my (and many others’) favorite hobby.