‘Knitting is a lifeline’: young people turn to craft to cast off gloom

A new generation of enthusiasts say they are putting down their phones and picking up needles

Eleanor Eden, 24, recently swapped a “pretty chronic social media addition” with crochet and knitting. During the Covid pandemic, it became “easy to spend all day” looking at screens, and knitting was her escape hatch.

Eden, a junior legal secretary from Manchester, is one of a new wave of young people cutting back on screen time and taking up knitting, sewing and embroidery instead. “It feels a million times more productive and better for my mental health,” she says.

Topics

Young people are hanging out less — it may be harming their mental health

Could the decline of face-to-face interaction tie together several modern mysteries?
Financial Times - 2d
A stock market sell signal’s been turned off. The market’s more sober.

Fund-manager cash levels are rising, one of a number of indicators showing that last year’s frothy market conditions have subsided and that sentiment has become more sober, Bank of America ...
MarketWatch - 3d
Is TikTok pushing Taiwan’s young people closer to China?

A growing number of researchers fear that the controversial app is promoting pro-China content and softening attitudes towards the People’s Republic
Financial Times - 3d
Fewer Americans are dying from cancer, but rates rising in women and young people

CBS News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook talks about the American Cancer Society's latest cancer report that shows both positive and concerning trends.
CBS News - 3d
Cancer in women and young people is increasing, study finds

New data from the American Cancer Society shows overall cancer deaths are down but the number of women and young adults with cancer is up, according to a new study. CBS News' Michael George reports.
CBS News - 3d
'That was for the people of LA' - Rams win emotional play-off game

The Los Angeles Rams pay tribute to the city's firefighters and first responders as they clinch the last spot in week two of the NFL play-offs.
BBC News - 6d
AI Financial Advisers Target Young People Living Paycheck to Paycheck

AI finance apps are reaching Gen Z and millennial users with personalized chatbots that offer money advice—and upsell them big time.
Wired - Jan. 13
Britain’s economic gloom is overdone

The government can tackle bad vibes with a positive vision for growth
Financial Times - Jan. 3
Americans keep flocking to Florida—3 young people share what it's like living there: 'My money goes a long way'

Florida's population has continued to boom despite costs going up and hurricanes intensifying.
CNBC - Jan. 1

More from The Guardian

Trump to declare national emergency at US-Mexico border as part of day one executive actions – live

President-elect expected to sign several executive actions immediately after taking office. Biden pardons Fauci and Milley in effort to guard against potential ‘revenge’ by Trump Trump ...
The Guardian - 23m
Elon Musk’s ‘Doge’ expected to be sued moments after Trump’s swearing-in

Lawsuit will challenge legality of ‘department of government efficiency’, by alleging it violates federal rules. Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) program is expected to be ...
The Guardian - 2h
Freezing rain dampens mood in Washington ahead of Trump’s inauguration – photo essay

Photographer Jordan Gale documents preparations for 60th presidential inauguration, showing a US poised and polarised between hope and fear. Washington is a city on edge. Concrete barriers, ...
The Guardian - 2h
As Trump is inaugurated, activists ask: is there any point in mass protest?

Some say Trump part two needs a new strategy as ‘the novelty of mass mobilization has kind of worn off’. Prominent leftwing activists across the US say a second Trump administration demands new ...
The Guardian - 6h
Gaza ceasefire latest: Hamas says people of Gaza will ‘rise again’ and rebuild territory

The search for thousands of people buried under rubble has started as the ceasefire in Gaza enters its second day. Full report: Palestinians celebrate as prisoners freed The Spanish ...
The Guardian - 25m

More in World

Live Updates: As Cease-Fire Takes Hold, Gazans Return to Destroyed Homes

Gazans were surveying the vast damage to their neighborhoods on Monday as anxious Israelis awaited news about the condition of the hostages.
The New York Times - 12m
Trump to declare national emergency at US-Mexico border as part of day one executive actions – live

President-elect expected to sign several executive actions immediately after taking office. Biden pardons Fauci and Milley in effort to guard against potential ‘revenge’ by Trump Trump ...
The Guardian - 23m
The Last Migrant Caravans Before Trump’s Inauguration

A Times photographer made two trips to southern Mexico to follow groups of migrants as they walked toward the United States.
The New York Times - 23m
Gaza ceasefire latest: Hamas says people of Gaza will ‘rise again’ and rebuild territory

The search for thousands of people buried under rubble has started as the ceasefire in Gaza enters its second day. Full report: Palestinians celebrate as prisoners freed The Spanish ...
The Guardian - 25m
Some Prominent Palestinian Prisoners Set to Be Released in the Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire Agreement

Israel is expected on Sunday to begin releasing more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, according to the terms of the cease-fire and hostage release agreement with Hamas.
The New York Times - 28m