Knitting needles click in study lounges, crochet hooks move on bus rides and dough rises on countertops inside campus apartments. Hobbies such as knitting, crocheting and baking are becoming more popular among young people.
These activities offer something valuable: a chance to slow down, focus and create something tangible in a fast-paced culture.
Nostalgia, family connections
The rise in these hobbies isn’t just about escaping screens or slowing down. For a lot of young people, they come from memories, traditions and people they grew up with.
Daniel Salkin, freshman in Engineering and a member of the Love and Flour RSO, enjoys baking in his free time. He said the hobby has always been tied to the people he grew up with.
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“My grandmother used to teach cooking classes,” Salkin said. “So I would do that with her a lot; we would always have family dinner, and that would involve, most days, cooking food.”
For students like Salkin, picking up or continuing old-school hobbies in college becomes a way to carry childhood memories forward. The familiar motions of stirring the batter, threading yarn and shaping dough feel like a brief return to the old days.
Fiber arts offer similar experiences. Some individuals learn to knit or crochet from parents or grandparents, while others pick it up by themselves.
Anna Krutnyk, freshman in Engineering, has been knitting for two to three years and said the hobby has always been a part of her home environment.
“My mom had a lot of knitting projects at home,” Krutnyk said. “That’s how I first started learning.”
Mental health benefits, distractions
For Krutnyk, one of the easiest ways to cut down on screen time is to replace it with something hands-on.
“With video games and stuff, you can see coins and awards and stuff,” Krutnyk said. “Which I guess is rewarding in a sense, but it’s not the same as getting something tangible that you can actually use.”
Salkin said he turns to baking when he needs a moment to reset and get his mind off the stress of college life, even if it’s just for a little bit.
For Salkin, baking helps to manage his stress because it demands enough focus to naturally shift his mind away from stressful things for a few minutes.
“If you’re baking something, it requires a decent amount of focus,” Salkin said. “It’s not going to just eliminate the stress, like, I’m still going to be freaking out about finals, but that’s only going to be some of my thoughts.”
Fiber arts offer a similar kind of mental reset. The repetitive motion of knitting or crocheting can be meditative, allowing individuals to slow down and pause while they’re overwhelmed.
Krutnyk has been knitting for two to three years and said she finds the craft soothing and relaxing.
“I’d say it’s calming,” Krutnyk said. “It takes your mind off things.”
Creativity, self expression
In addition to nostalgia, creative freedom is one of the biggest draws to these hobbies. These hobbies serve as “active recovery;” the creativity gives the brain the rest it needs to recharge focus and energy.
According to Krutnyk, these kinds of hobbies also feel more personal than digital forms of expression, and that it being more “physical” makes it feel “better.”
Salkin feels the same way about baking, and appreciates that he can experiment with color, texture and tastes in ways you don’t get with most other hobbies.
“(Baking) really lets me be creative and just come up with things in a way that you don’t get to do so as much in a lot of other things,” Salkin said.
Similarly, fiber arts bring that same creativity. Alexa Orozco, freshman in DES, enjoys crocheting things that feel both expressive and useful.
She is currently working on a skull-pattern bandana for her hair and is proud of the progress she’s made.
“It’s being able to make something useful or practical for yourself,” Orozco said. “You can create something … you can give it to other people, or make it for yourself.”
The blend of creativity and purpose is what keeps young people connected to these hobbies. Each project becomes a small reflection of who they are.
As young people continue to search for ways to slow down and feel more grounded, these hobbies have become a part of some people’s routines. They may be old-fashioned, but apparently fit very well into modern life.
