Tag: Granny Crafts

The Appeal of “Granny Crafts”: Have I Got Stories for You

The Appeal of “Granny Crafts”: Have I Got Stories for You

Cynthia Coe

As a longtime knitter, I couldn’t help but notice the trending appeal of what social media is calling “granny crafts” or even “grandma hobbies.” Am I surprised that young people are taking up knitting, crochet, embroidery, needlepoint, and other unplugged, slow, and quiet crafts? I shouldn’t be.

There’s a lot going on in the world right now. There always is, but the level of stress-inducing, high-anxiety, high-tension news seems to have hit a new peak in recent weeks. Whether you agree passionately with one side or another (and for the record—no politics on the knitting blog here!), you feel it. It’s hard to disengage for your own self-preservation and take a few hours—or even a few minutes—to truly chill out.

Why Slow, Unplugged Crafts Are Making a Comeback

Enter old-school crafting.

I’ve always knitted while watching television or listening to an in-person presentation. During the pandemic, I took up crochet to soak up stress and give myself something new to do while stuck at home. Lately, though, I’ve felt the need for complete quiet—completely unplugged and completely unrelated to anything else I do.

Over the past few months, I’ve taken up both embroidery and needlepoint, and the slow, repetitive stitching has become my go-to way of turning the rest of the world off for a while. These meditative crafts offer something rare: focus without pressure, rhythm without urgency, and creativity without noise.

Knitting, Healing, and Women’s Stories

In my books—the Prayer Shawl Chronicles and my historical knitting novels—I’ve always written about women finding peace and solace through slow, meditative knitting. These are women who turn to craft while navigating stressful jobs, personal challenges, grief, and change. Through knitting, they find healing for both body and soul.

I came to prayer-shawl knitting myself when my father entered the dementia ward of a nursing home. I needed something to help me cope as I sat with him, silently, for hours on end. Knitting became my way of staying present, grounded, and calm during a season when words failed.

Welcome to the World of Meditative Crafting

If you’re new to the soothing balm of simple, meditative crafting—welcome. You’ll find many other knitters and crafters who turn to yarn, thread, and needle to unwind, just like you. Yes, we all have our moments of ripping out a few rows and starting again, but it beats staring at our phones all day.

If you’re thinking of taking up knitting or another slow craft, give it a try. Crafts do not have to be perfect. It’s the quiet moments of concentration that count. And if you’re an old hand at knitting or embroidery, you already know: we need crafts unconnected to the internet—or world events—more than ever.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my books about women who, throughout the centuries, have picked up two sticks and a ball of yarn to make something beautiful—and to heal their own souls.

Blessings,

Cindy

Cynthia Coe is the author of The Prayer Shawl Chronicles and its sequel, The Knitting Guild of All Saints. Her newest novels, Knitting Through Time and Knitting Under the Orange Trees, explore how knitting spread through Europe and on to the Americas. Follow her here on the blog, at http://www.cynthiacoe.com, or on her Amazon Author Page.

Why You Shouldn’t Be Embarrassed to Do “Granny Crafts”

Why You Shouldn’t Be Embarrassed to Do “Granny Crafts”

Cynthia Coe


If you’re a 20-something who knits, crochets, or embroiders—this is for you. Granny Crafts aren’t just for grannies. They’re quiet, powerful tools for stress relief, creativity, and deep comfort through every stage of life.

Cindy Knitting with Cats

Dear Young Crafty Kindred Spirit,

Lately, more and more people are talking about how young adults are embracing so-called “Granny Crafts”—and I love it.

If you’re here because you knit, crochet, embroider, or sew—or want to—you’re in good company. I’ve been knitting since I was a teenager myself. But it wasn’t until college, when stress started to weigh heavy on my shoulders, that I really picked it up as a coping mechanism. I’d sit in my dorm room or in a quiet corner of the student center, needles in hand, letting the rhythm of the yarn pull me back from the brink.

Some days, you just want everything—school, jobs, relationships, even the noise of the world—to go away for a while. I get it.

You were born into the digital age. My own kids got their first iPods in middle school and were among the first to start texting. Now, we all carry around little rectangles that buzz and ping and demand our attention 24/7. But here’s the secret: you can turn it off. Just for a few minutes. Really. The world won’t end.

And when you do? That’s when Granny Crafts work their quiet magic.

There’s no algorithm here. No pressure to go viral. No rush to the finish line. When you pick up a needle or a hook, it’s just you, your yarn, and your own rhythm. You can work slowly. Thoughtfully. Or set it down and pick it back up a month later. Granny Crafts are deeply human—analog, if you will. They exist on your terms, not someone else’s timeline.

You may not know it yet, but you’re building something far bigger than a handmade scarf. You’re building a lifelong tool for patience and comfort. Someday, you’ll find yourself stuck in medical waiting rooms. You’ll sit through school pickup lines or kids’ gymnastics practice. You’ll be at hospital bedsides or nursing homes, offering your presence when there’s nothing more you can do. Except this: stitch by stitch, you wait. You love. You breathe.

Granny Crafts give you something to hold on to when the rest of life feels uncertain. They will anchor you when stress comes crashing in, and they will accompany you through every phase of adulthood with grace and beauty.

Welcome to the circle. You’re not alone.

With love and yarn,
Cindy
Knitter, writer, and lifelong lover of “Granny Crafts”

If you’re looking for stories of other women—young, old, and in-between—who have walked that road, I invite you to follow my blog and check out my novels. I write about knitting, community, and faith in a world that is often spinning too fast. Sometimes, we need the quiet power of yarn and human connection to slow it down.

Cynthia Coe is the author of The Prayer Shawl Chronicles, a series of fictional stories woven together by the theme of human connections made through prayer shawls and the craft of knitting. Her newest book is her first historical novel, Knitting Through Time: Stories of How We Learned to Knit. Learn more by visiting her Author Page at this link.