<p dir="ltr">It was the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo when Tom Daley, UK’s ace diver, not only won his country a gold medal but also charmed the audience with his nimble public display of crocheting that was snapped up by shutterbugs.</p>

<p>Daley became an unlikely champion of crocheting,&nbsp;which uses a hook - croc in French means hook - to create textiles from strands of yarn, thread, or other fabric material.<br />
<br />
Wherever you caught sight of Daley—whether lounging on the benches, poolside, or watching other people’s games, you could see him with his crochet needles, working with great dexterity.&nbsp;He even made&nbsp;a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CR0ciqMIOIJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=4f68927a-831b-4203-80fb-5af840875b6a">tiny sleeve for his gold medal</a>, earned with partner Matty Lee in the men’s 10-metre synchronised dive.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Daley inadvertently forced the world to sit up and take notice of an art and craft once associated with&nbsp;elderly women, challenging an entire gamut of gender stereotypes along the way.&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr"><img alt="picture" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bf7dc40d-c95b-4133-9a2b-0b0bc9f7b708" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/The%20battle%20for%20Kyiv%20-%202024-03-08T001259.450.jpg" /></p>

<p dir="ltr"><em><strong>British diver, Tom Daley crocheting on the stands during Tokyo Olympics 2021</strong></em></p>

<p dir="ltr">Hop skip to 2024 in India: a set of young entrepreneurs are launching small-scale crochet businesses and harnessing the power of social media to build their brand and customer base.</p>

<p>For 24-year-old Kunal Chourasia, a Mumbai-based full-time crocheter, crocheting wasn’t always a readily available career choice. Starting off as an IT professional in a multinational firm and later a marketing firm, Chourasia&nbsp;found his crochet calling only during the Covid pandemic&nbsp;lockdown.</p>

<p>“I started experimenting with designs during the lockdown phase. I used to create different shapes, different patterns, and so on. There was a point where I just thought of starting something of my own, and that is when I launched my Instagram page to put up my creations. And eventually, I started getting orders once the lockdown eased off,” he said.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cs3o60GISRD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cs3o60GISRD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cs3o60GISRD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cs3o60GISRD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Crochet by Kunal (@crochet_by_kunal)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Today, he deftly runs his own business off Instagram, which his parents were once completely against.</p>

<p>“The day I left my full-time marketing job, my parents asked me to leave the house, which I did. But we reconciled after 15 days, and since then there has been no looking back.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Back in January 2023, he would get around 20-30 orders every month, and now the orders have gone up to over 60-100 a month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The income now is roughly five-six times more than my IT job.”</p>

<p>The experience resonates with 28-year-old Aishwarya Bysani from Bengaluru, who goes by the moniker <a href="https://www.instagram.com/curlycrochet95?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D">Curly Crochet</a> on Instagram.</p>

<p>She also picked up crocheting during the lockdown and has since transitioned to becoming a full-time crocheter on Instagram, primarily focusing on wearable items such as sweaters and caps.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Moving beyond the conventional recommendations of journaling and meditation, therapist Ketaki&nbsp;Mhatre&nbsp;suggests that taking up activities like knitting and crocheting can significantly benefit our mental health.</p>

<p dir="ltr">“The repetitive motions, the focus involved, and the fact that you are physically and emotionally engaged with a tool is a great mental exercise,” she said.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Mhatre&nbsp;believes that when people experience anxiety or nervousness, repetitive actions or 'actions that loop in a way' help the nervous system find a rhythm to calm down.</p>

<p>While the majority of evidence supporting this claim is based on personal accounts, a study carried out by the&nbsp;<a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32245337/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University of Wollongong</a>&nbsp;found that participants reported feeling happier, more in control, and had a greater sense of usefulness after crocheting.</p>

<p>Crocheting turned into a refuge for Prabhal Mehta, a 29-year-old aspiring surgeon from Hyderabad, after his heartbreak. At first, he saw it as a way to take a break, but soon it became his safe space, helping him focus better on his studies.</p>

<p>Mehta said, "When I got into crocheting, it felt like I was stepping into a peaceful zone, just following the flow of my hands."</p>

<p>Encouraged by his mother, who's quite skilled at crocheting herself, Mehta grabbed a yarn ball and a crochet needle as a means to heal and discover himself.</p>

<p>"In this process I realised crocheting wasn't just about keeping my hands busy; it was also about finding beauty in the details, which I found really aligned with the precision needed in surgery," he said.</p>

<p>From every perspective, the traditional stereotype of handcrafting, typically tied to an elderly woman bent over her needles and yarn, has undergone a remarkable shift. Now, it's become a source of both financial empowerment and mental nourishment for today's young adults.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


It was the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo when Tom Daley, UK’s ace diver, not only won his country a gold medal but also charmed the audience with his nimble public display of crocheting that was snapped up by shutterbugs.

It was the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo when Tom Daley, UK’s ace diver, not only won his country a gold medal but also charmed the audience with his nimble public display of crocheting that was snapped up by shutterbugs. Daley became an unlikely champion of crocheting, which uses a hook - croc in French means hook - to create textiles from strands of yarn, thread, or other fabric material. Wherever you caught sight of Daley—whether lounging on the benches, poolside, or watching other people’s games, you could see him with his crochet needles, working with great dexterity. He even made a tiny sleeve for his gold medal, earned with partner Matty Lee in the men’s 10-metre synchronised dive. Daley inadvertently forced the world to sit up and take notice of an art and craft once associated with elderly women, challenging an entire gamut of gender stereotypes along the way. British diver, Tom Daley crocheting on the stands during Tokyo Olympics 2021 Hop skip to 2024 in India: a set of young entrepreneurs are launching small-scale crochet businesses and harnessing the power of social media to build their brand and customer base. For 24-year-old Kunal Chourasia, a Mumbai-based full-time crocheter, crocheting wasn’t always a readily available career choice. Starting off as an IT professional in a multinational firm and later a marketing firm, Chourasia found his crochet calling only during the Covid pandemic lockdown. “I started experimenting with designs during the lockdown phase. I used to create different shapes, different patterns, and so on. There was a point where I just thought of starting something of my own, and that is when I launched my Instagram page to put up my creations. And eventually, I started getting orders once the lockdown eased off,” he said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Crochet by Kunal (@crochet_by_kunal) × Today, he deftly runs his own business off Instagram, which his parents were once completely against. “The day I left my full-time marketing job, my parents asked me to leave the house, which I did. But we reconciled after 15 days, and since then there has been no looking back.” Back in January 2023, he would get around 20-30 orders every month, and now the orders have gone up to over 60-100 a month. “The income now is roughly five-six times more than my IT job.” The experience resonates with 28-year-old Aishwarya Bysani from Bengaluru, who goes by the moniker Curly Crochet on Instagram. She also picked up crocheting during the lockdown and has since transitioned to becoming a full-time crocheter on Instagram, primarily focusing on wearable items such as sweaters and caps. Moving beyond the conventional recommendations of journaling and meditation, therapist Ketaki Mhatre suggests that taking up activities like knitting and crocheting can significantly benefit our mental health. “The repetitive motions, the focus involved, and the fact that you are physically and emotionally engaged with a tool is a great mental exercise,” she said. Mhatre believes that when people experience anxiety or nervousness, repetitive actions or 'actions that loop in a way' help the nervous system find a rhythm to calm down. While the majority of evidence supporting this claim is based on personal accounts, a study carried out by the University of Wollongong found that participants reported feeling happier, more in control, and had a greater sense of usefulness after crocheting. Crocheting turned into a refuge for Prabhal Mehta, a 29-year-old aspiring surgeon from Hyderabad, after his heartbreak. At first, he saw it as a way to take a break, but soon it became his safe space, helping him focus better on his studies. Mehta said, "When I got into crocheting, it felt like I was stepping into a peaceful zone, just following the flow of my hands." Encouraged by his mother, who's quite skilled at crocheting herself, Mehta grabbed a yarn ball and a crochet needle as a means to heal and discover himself. "In this process I realised crocheting wasn't just about keeping my hands busy; it was also about finding beauty in the details, which I found really aligned with the precision needed in surgery," he said. From every perspective, the traditional stereotype of handcrafting, typically tied to an elderly woman bent over her needles and yarn, has undergone a remarkable shift. Now, it's become a source of both financial empowerment and mental nourishment for today's young adults.

Crocheting is helping young adults grow financially and emotionally, one stitch at a time

Tobey King, owner of Tobey Time Crochet out of Corpus Christi, Texas, turned the sensational meme of Bernie Sanders into Crochet doll. She raised around $40,000 through these dolls and donated the money to charity.

Texas Tobey king raised $40,000 for a charitable organisation through Bernie Sanders' Crochet doll

crochet-dolls

Crochet Dolls, News on Crochet Dolls, stories on Crochet Dolls, articles on Crochet Dolls, Crochet Dolls stories at Wion, Crochet Dolls news, Crochet Dolls latest news

crochet dolls

Crocheting is helping young adults grow financially and emotionally, one stitch at a time

Texas Tobey king raised $40,000 for a charitable organisation through Bernie Sanders' Crochet doll