Knitting has never been hipper.
New York City yarn shop owners report that the fiber arts — such as knitting, weaving and in particular crocheting — are having a moment. Gen Z, in discovering the colorful crafts on TikTok, has further dispelled a waning stigma that the hobbies are only for grandmas. Folks of all ages are flocking to yarn-based creation as a source of non-screen-based pastime and community.
That’s even at a difficult time for local storeowners — with the usual challenges of running indie shops compounded by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which have had an outsize impact on an industry that depends heavily on importing wool from small-business mills overseas.
Next weekend, though, should be a bright spot: Friday through Sunday is the NYC Yarn Crawl, a reliably blockbuster day for Brooklyn and Manhattan’s myriad yarn sellers, when lovers of the craft will make their way to exclusive offers and events at 10 shops throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. Tickets are free, and programming includes workshops, trunk shows and brand pop-ups. Knit-influencers are also known to make appearances along the route.
“It’s a very community-based event,” said Kristen Couchot, who has been running the crawl since 2014, and in 2018 launched the Brooklyn Yarn Crawl. To her knowledge, the NYC Crawl is the country's second-biggest yarn crawl, topped only by Portland, Oregon’s.
Yarn Crawlers participants at Argyle Yarn Shop.
In an era defined by uncertainty and political polarization, yarn also offers a hobby that is about as far from politics as possible, Couchot said, calling it “the coziest hobby.” And New York has a variety of shops that each boast their “own charm, style and special events” and nuanced communities.
“l think fiber arts in New York are having a fantastic revival,” said Cleo Malone, owner of Cleo’s Craft Cafe in Bushwick. Their store is among the 10 participating in the crawl. “Younger generations are engaging in crafts and community more now than I’ve seen in my nearly 20 years in the industry."
The increase is consistent and has been building for some years, said Zachary Chin, manager of the Upper West Side’s Knitty City, a longtime knitting mecca started by his late and legendary mother back in 2006 — and another stop on the crawl.
“ The boom is happening with the younger audience,” he said, adding that Knitty City’s weekly Wednesday open knit and crochet nights have, recently, been beyond packed. “We have, like, 30-some odd people coming in just to hang out and chat all night. It’s to the point where we actually don’t have enough chairs for everyone, so sometimes people end up sitting on the floor just to be there and hangout,” said Chin.
With attention spans short and entertainment cheap and endless, though, what explains the passionate interest in such a patience-heavy and potentially pricey hobby?
“Crochet is very cathartic,” Chin offered. “It has enough repetition that you don’t have to think so much about it, but at the same time it’s also engaging mentally and physically. Keeps your hands busy.”
Plus, the colorful aspect lends itself to social media. It serves as an accessible, practical, creative outlet and offers a sustainable way to engage with fashion, noted Carolyn Heitmann, owner of Greenpoint’s Brooklyn Craft Company, yet another crawl stop.
“People are in desperate need of doing something that doesn’t involve a screen,” Heitmann continued.
She added: “I don’t know why regular adults can’t have creative outlets and whimsy in their lives, but definitely a lot of people are looking for that.”
