Young people revive 'grandma hobbies' from needlepoint to blacksmithing

By 23, Emma MacTaggart noticed her free time was rare and mostly spent on screens. Working long hours in investment banking, she often turned to her phone after logging off.

Seeking a break, she and her roommates took up needlepoint, a childhood craft she hadn't practiced in years. "It was a therapeutic way to distract yourself from work or stress while doing something with your hands instead of doomscrolling," she said.

MacTaggart is among many young people embracing analog hobbies to escape technology and reconnect with creativity. Knitting, gardening, and needlepoint-sometimes called "grandma hobbies" have gained popularity among Gen-Z and millennials. Other crafts, including pottery, origami, and blacksmithing, are also seeing renewed interest.

Now 26, MacTaggart has turned her passion into a business, What's the Stitch, selling needlepoint canvases, accessories, and digital designs online, often adding humor and occasional profanity.

Experts highlight the mental health benefits. Jaime Kurtz, psychology professor at James Madison University, said hobbies reduce stress and offer accomplishment. Clara Sherman, co-founder of So Bam Fun, said playing mahjong creates a "zen state" with friends.

Some use technology to enhance their hobbies. Isaiah Scott, 22, compares birdwatching to "a video game, but in real life," using eBird to log sightings and support conservation. He founded the nonprofit Rookery and Roots Conservancy and bought land in Georgia to protect habitats.

Other hobbyists, like blacksmith Anna Weare and poet Kristie Landing, have leveraged social media to reach global audiences and create communities. Many say these crafts are not a trend but a deliberate embrace of analog life. MacTaggart, for instance, welcomed the "grandma hobbies" label. "I've been a grandma my whole life, so it's fitting this is now my career," she said.