Crochet the TikTok way

In today’s tech-heavy world, traditional art forms like crochet are still thriving. We met with two TikTok crochet creators to find out more about sharing their stitches online

- Sophie Tarrant

When the pandemic hit in March 2020 and the entire world went into lockdown, many people turned to crafting as a way to pass the time. Equally, social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter and TikTok saw an increase in use, too – with TikTok, in particular, growing to almost one billion monthly active users. With the capability to instantly share video snippets of up to three minutes in length to a global audience, the app is designed with creatives in mind – in fact, the company mission is “to capture and present the world’s creativity… and to share their passion and creative expression through their videos”. Crochet artists around the world have taken to the app to share their latest makes, learn new skills and promote their patterns (often using the hashtag #crochettok), with several designs, such as JW Anderson’s patchwork cardigan (as seen on singer Harry Styles) going viral.

COMMUNITY MATTERS

“TikTok’s impact on the craft world has been astronomical,” says Sarah Csiacsek, who shares crochet videos under the name Fanatical Fibers. “It’s deepened the bond within the community and expanded it, too. It’s also inspiring new generations of crafters to pick up their yarn and create, and has allowed a lot of makers to take their crochet full time. Artists now have a platform to expand their reach and show their work to millions of people.”