This is the result of a combination of trends to find one’s own taste and identity through “anti-dopamine” consumption that is far from the digital environment instead of immediate stimulation.
Hashtags such as #TweeterStagram #Trinee #NittingHip are pouring in on social media. The number of #KnittingHashtags posted on Instagram reached 1.29 million, showing the spread of related trends.
The time when “knit” began to revive as a hobby for the younger generation around the world was after the pandemic when COVID-19 broke out. Interest increased as it became meaningful to restore slow breathing by making something by hand in a fast and stimulating digital culture.
In fact, the process of preoccupied with knitting is becoming more popular as it is known that it calms the mind like meditation, and repeated hand movements provide psychological healing effects.
Recently, celebrities have attracted more attention by introducing “knit” as their hobby.
Although knitting is reemerging as a trend, the way the MZ generation enjoys knitting is slightly different from the previous generation. Creating a cultural flow beyond just hobbies is how the MZ generation loves knitting.
First of all, MZ generation shares their identity through SNS such as Instagram and YouTube from the process of making to completion.
Social gatherings through ‘knitting’ are also becoming a trend.
A case in point is the “Knit Screening,” which combines watching movies and knitting. When the independent movie “These Trivial Things” was released last winter, Laika Cinema, an art theater in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, hosted a program where people enjoyed knitting while watching movies. After the screening, people shared knitting items that they made.
Knitting clubs are being created. One of the popular Instagram accounts, “Close-Nit Club,” is a knitting club and workshop-oriented community.
Members of this group usually pack their own knitting streets and small snacks, and spend four to five hours knitting in a cozy space. Sometimes they leave the knitting camp for one night and two days, and when the weather is good, they go out to the Seoul Forest with threads and needles.
In addition, Sebi House is an offline space operated by the knitting channel “Sebi,” which has 300,000 subscribers. Cevi is an independent brand spun off by knitting yarn manufacturer Philip Textile, founded in 1980, to take charge of knitting culture business, and aims for a platform-type model that encompasses content, space, and community, not just selling yarn and tools.
In particular, the reason why I started knitting here is because I run the “HELP chick Service.” Even beginners such as reporters run a system that helps knitting by placing a yellow chick on the seat when they have difficulty knitting.
When I followed the video, I was able to proceed without much difficulty from holding my nose, knitting on the outside, not knitting, and cutting my nose. On the first day, I spent about four hours immersed in knitting. The process was not always smooth. Contrary to the explanation of “one day is completed,” beginners needed more time than expected. It was not easy to continue knitting while working on daily tasks. Nevertheless, as I held the needle for as long as 30 minutes to two hours whenever I had time, I took the form of an earmuff. It took six days for the final completion.
A strange sense of accomplishment came as I held the earbuds in my hand, which were completed one by one, in addition to the time waiting for admission to the K-pop competition while on the subway for a while after work. Naturally, I wanted to leave a picture, and I shared the results with SNS and acquaintances. The next day, I went out wearing my own floating earbuds. As the praise continued from the people around me, the sense of pride increased.
Through this experience, I could feel why the MZ generation fell in love with knitting.
Knitting was a hobby that made me focus on the process rather than the outcome. Time spent on thread and nose in hand naturally slowed down daily life instead of consuming quickly and checking for immediate reactions.
The experience after the completion of the program was particularly impressive. Despite being clumsy, the product itself left a different attachment from the ready-made products and became a content including the process of sharing them with photos.
Knitting was similar to the taste consumption pursued by the MZ generation in that the experience continued until the moment the needle was placed.
If you’ve postponed your hobby because you’re busy, you can start with a thread and a needle. It’s slower than you think, so it can be a memorable experience for a longer time.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
