Not your grandma's hobby: Young adults take part in needlepoint meet-ups

Needlepoint is no longer just your grandmother’s hobby. As WKRC-TV Local 12 recently reported, Gen Z and millennials are picking up needles and thread instead of their phones.

Mental health experts said hobbies like needlepoint can provide real psychological benefits.

“Whether it’s cross-stitching or knitting or mindfulness activities, I think they’re all really vital for us to turn down our fight-or-flight response,” said Stephen Rush, MD, professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Rush said hands-on hobbies engage the brain differently than endlessly scrolling social media feeds filled with stressful or negative content.

“Something like knitting is active,” Rush explained. “It requires us to engage a part of our brain called the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for deliberate, purposeful and mindful action.”

At Element Eatery in Madisonville, tables fill as members of Stitch Club Cincinnati gather for their monthly meet-ups. While everyone is welcome, most members are women in their 20s and 30s looking to unplug and connect.

Nearly 60 stitchers regularly show up with needles, thread and patterns in hand.

What was once considered an old-fashioned pastime is now becoming a modern form of self-care — attracting a younger generation searching for connection, creativity and a break from the nonstop stress of the online world.

Watch the full WKRC-TV/Local 12 report.

Featured image at top: iStock/Rawpixel.