In a sunlit classroom at Heritage Academy, a group of high schoolers sits quietly, hands in motion, eyes focused on yarn and the needles being used to weave it. This isn’t detention or home economics revival — it’s crochet class, a wildly popular elective that’s inspiring creativity and some seriously jaw-dropping projects.

On one table sits a towering, handmade sandworm doll.

“I bought a $10 pattern off Etsy and just went for it,” explains Asher Goncalves, proudly holding up the figure like a prized catch.

He’s one of the lucky ones. A quarter of Heritage Academy’s student population joined the waitlist for the course’s second semester this spring.

“My goal was to have the biggest project in the class,” Goncalves said with a smile, “and I succeeded.”

The sandworm’s intricate head-inside-a-head design and black-and-white stripes were popularized in the 1988 classic film Beetlejuice. Goncalves, born after the advent of the iPhone, saw it in the 2024 sequel.

“I probably took about four days of just sitting down and watching movies and just doing the rounds,” explained the Heritage senior, who plans to study theatre tech in college.

“I’m bringing my hooks to college. And the sandworm is coming with me, too.”

Hit the books? No, the hooks!

Longtime Heritage teacher Kasey Turik has a habit of building programs from the ground up.

“This is my eighth class I’ve started here,” she said, noting she also launched the school’s American Sign Language program.

“We tried to get crochet going a couple years ago, but the district just didn’t see it. Then our principal last year really pushed for it,” recalled Turik. “She said, ‘You have to understand how good it is for the kids.’ And she was right.”

What began as a niche idea has become a full-fledged phenomenon. The class had 180 students request to join (total high school enrollment is 775), but Turik only had room for 60, with preference given to upperclassmen.

Seniors gave up their free periods to take the class, electing to start their day early with crochet instead of sleeping in.

On a recent Monday morning, the classroom was filled with the music of Florence and the Machine and quiet conversations as dozens of hands stitched and weaved.

Junior Carleigh Mrosko, who has been crocheting for a year and a half, described the activity as “fun” and “relaxing.” She also turned her passion into a side hustle, earning $1,500 selling crocheted work at school fairs and community events this school year.
Students donate dish cloths and other handmade items to communities in need, earning service hours in the process.

Sophomore Ariana Sclafan and junior Elizabeth Bynum both said they’ve made dozens of projects. So many, in fact, they keep photo albums on their cell phones to track their growing collections.

Sclafan’s current masterpiece is a nearly 6-foot-long snake, wrapped around her shoulders and neck like a boa constrictor, still unfinished and growing. The ball of yarn is almost gone, but she plans to weave in a new one soon.

She said: “It’s going to keep going.”

So, evidently, will crochet, long regarded by Generation Z as a hobby for Baby Boomers.

“There’s this idea that crochet is for old ladies,” said Turik. “This class proves it’s for everyone. Boys, girls, seniors, juniors. And it’s beautiful to see them choose to be here.”

Eleventh grader Alexander Mylek is discovering crochet for the first time.

“I just like learning things that take skill,” he said while working on the curved leg of a blue octopus. “My grandma used to crochet a bunch of blankets.” He remembers being wrapped in them. “It’s a good memory, but I remember them being scratchy.”

Mylek told his grandma he’s picked up crochet.

“I think she’s proud I’m picking it up,” he said.

This class was so popular, a group of middle schoolers banded together to petition the administration to let them take the class. Although inspired, Turik said she simply doesn’t have the free desks or free hours to expand the course.

“As long as kids are interested, we’ll keep going,” she said. “They’ve made it cool again.”

Analog pleasures

Beyond the halls of Heritage, it seems like crochet is making a massive comeback.
The global knitting and crochet market is on track to grow by $10.7 billion by 2028, according to a recent industry report. Analysts credit the surge not only to hobbyists, but also to training initiatives, pattern designs made more intricate AI-enhanced tools making pattern design more accessible than ever.

You just need to know how to stitch.

On TikTok, a growing number of social media creators have brought more than 10 billion views to the hashtag #crochet. Tutorials, time-lapse builds and crochet-themed ASMR flood the platform. It is evidence of Gen Z’s appetite for meaningful, handmade products, part of the rise of “slow living” culture. It’s a refocus on reclaiming time, embracing analog pleasures and finding presence in small, intentional acts.

Crochet checks those boxes with its creative, tactile and meditative outlet.

“Fidget spinners just spin,” joked Goncalves, “but this makes something.”

Turik originally learned to crochet decades ago from her grandmother, but said she never imagined the skill would become a point of connection with a generation raised on screens. “When I was a kid, it was granny squares and doilies,” she said. “Now, it’s plush mushrooms and viral patterns from TikTok.”

“It’s not your grandma’s hobby anymore,” she added. “Kids with anxiety, kids who need something to do with their hands, they’re all thriving in this class.”

Sclafan, the sophomore student, is one of those kids. She estimates she’s made 40 different crochet pieces — ranging from plush chickens to squeaky toys. Making stuffed animals is her favorite, and she’s getting better with each passing school day.

“They’re building confidence,” said Turik. “They’re learning persistence. They’re creating something from nothing. That’s powerful.”