Crochet is an increasingly popular craft involving hooking yarn into itself, creating a variety of things ranging from blankets to plushies. Many people associate it with “granny hobbies,” as it was previously most seen with old women.

I have known the basics of crocheting since I was about five years old. I learned some stitches from my mom, and have done so on-and-off for years. In June of 2024, I began taking crocheting somewhat seriously after I had seen my friend making a tote bag.

From then on, I have learned all of the basic tricks and stitches, and have made so many things since then. My favorite thing to make is a granny square bag.

I have been crocheting regularly since then, and can sometimes be seen galavanting about school with a Taylor Swift tote bag filled with my current crochet project. 

I’m mostly self-taught, learning from TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest, so it was only a matter of time before my algorithm became riddled with crochet-related videos and patterns. 

When I began seeing a massive increase in crochet things on my for you pages across these platforms, that was all fine and dandy. 

In August, I went to an aquarium in Las Vegas and saw someone with a granny square top (which was absolutely gorgeous, I wish I remembered what it looked like to recreate it), which I didn’t think much of.

It wasn’t until I had seen other people out in the wild with crochet items that I began catching on. When I found out about many other people I know crochet, that was even more telling. I then began seeing kiosks at the mall selling crochet items. The final straw was the new crochet club at Los Osos (which I’m ecstatic about).

“Dang, this is a trend now”, I thought. I can’t fully explain why it upsets me, but it’s one of those things that you’re not really mad about but is still mildly annoying.

Perhaps I feel a sense of pride knowing I can create such beautiful things by myself and feel invalidated when I see others do the same. I’m fully aware that it’s petty and stupid, and, honestly, it’s not that deep.

Something that makes crocheting unique is that it can’t be done with a machine. Every single crocheted item is either done by hand or is not truly crocheted.

So, of course, crochet items should be on the more pricey side (including the cost of materials, labor, and a bit of profit), so if you stumble across a crochet item for two or three dollars, it’s either astronomically unethical or not truly crochet (or your friend is doing you a solid). 

The fact that this is even a hot topic in the crochet community should say a lot about its increasing popularity. 

Something I enjoy about crocheting is that it can be extremely relaxing while also being rewarding. I forget that since I know how to crochet, the possibilities are limitless, so I can make almost anything I want. 

If you’re interested, definitely try to crochet because it’s really fun and rewarding. But also don’t because I want to be unique.