DIY Trend: 4 Reasons to Take Up Knitting This Year

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Knitting is more trendy than ever.

From the runways, behind our screens, to the shelves of our favorite labels, it’s impossible to miss them. Knitted pieces are in vogue, no matter the season. 

But this is hardly surprising when you consider that the DIY trend is one of the rising trends of recent years. Because yes, doing it yourself has never been as valued it is today.

If you have the soul of a creator and love to create fashion pieces with your own hands that reflect who you are? Then, you should get passionate about wool, garter stitches, and patterns.
In this article, I propose to explore this creative activity by sharing with you 4 good reasons to start knitting this year. Forget about it being a pastime for the elderly. With knitting, you’ll almost certainly be at the forefront of fashion.

1 – Knitting under the impulse of Do It Yourself

The knitting trend has made its place thanks to a more widespread movement; DIY, aka Do It Yourself. Yes, making your own clothes has never been as fashionable as it is today. 

And this is explained for two main reasons.

The first is, of course, the paradigm shift regarding consumption modes. The environmental damage of the fashion industry is undeniable. This has led to a change in consciousness in the minds of many consumers. Many consumers prefer reasoned and ethical consumption over Fast Fashion. And it is in this approach that hand-sewn, do-it-yourself, and DIY are valued.

The second concerns trends. More and more people are looking to detach themselves from trends to reclaim their own individuality through a personal style. And often, this involves making one’s own clothes.

These reasons have pushed creative practices to shake off stereotypes. And knitting is among them. In just a few seasons, this fabric-making technique has gone from being a “has-been” cliché to a trendy practice. Many influencers and fashionistas have tried their hand at this discipline to attempt to create their own fashion pieces. 
Brands and haute couture houses have also communicated about their craftsmanship. Craftsmanship has never been as highlighted by luxury brands as it is today. Which, in a way, helps to popularize practices like knitting or even embroidery on clothes.

2 – Learning to knit helps reduce stress

It is known that creative activities are beneficial to our well-being and mental health. And practicing knitting regularly can even earn us life points by reducing stress. This is what a study conducted by Harvard University has demonstrated. According to scientists, knitting can induce a relaxation response that lowers heart rate and reduces blood pressure, which is beneficial for cardiovascular health. Knitting can also help to release endorphins, natural well-being hormones that provide a sense of calm and relaxation.

Practicing knitting can also allow focusing on a specific task, which promotes mindfulness and full consciousness, two techniques that help reduce stress and anxiety.

Finally, knitting can offer a positive and constructive distraction, which allows detaching from negative thoughts and fighting against mental rumination. 

More than a fashion trend, this D.I.Y practice proves to be a creative opportunity to take a break, feel better on a daily basis, and lighten up.

3 – Taking up knitting means expressing yourself through your creativity

As we mentioned earlier, the practice of knitting has become popular because it meets the needs of an increasing number of people: the search for a personal style.

Sewing, knitting, embroidering, cutting, pasting, combining… All these creative actions are ways for some people to express themselves. Because when one does not feel oneself in clothes that are bought, one creates them.

In the face of this pile of monotony and standardization in ready-to-wear collections, the originality and unique character of a piece are the key to expressing one’s individuality. Knitting then becomes a tool that enables this differentiation. Seeking inspiration in the details of everyday life, stopping on a color, choosing your wool, thinking about your pattern, picking up your needles, determining your knitting stitch, watching the stitches be knitted… All these small steps are part of a whole, a process that gives freedom back to creativity and freedom of expression to bring to life a cardigan, a top, a scarf, a bag, a pouch, etc.

It should also not be forgotten that this DIY activity is also a confidence booster. Like any tailoring project, it is not easy to see it through. Knitting requires patience and diligence. A bad start and you’re certain to undo all your stitches to start your precious project over. When you finally achieve the desired result, you feel satisfaction. And there’s nothing better to prove to yourself that you can do things on your own!

4 – DIY Trend: when knitting contributes to a more eco-responsible fashion

Knitting fits into the DIY trend. 

And DIY can play an important role in the fight against waste and the protection of the environment.

According to a study conducted in 2017 by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the fashion industry is responsible for 92 million tonnes of textile waste each year, which is equivalent to about 1.2 garbage trucks of waste every second. On the other hand, if every person in Europe extended the life of their clothes by just three months, it would save the equivalent of the greenhouse gas emissions of two million cars per year. DIY, therefore, allows for extending the life of clothes by repairing or personalizing them, recycling raw materials, and thus reducing textile waste.

At the same time, knitting is an ecological activity that responds to the importance of sustainability and handmade in our society. 

By knitting your own clothes, accessories, or decorative items, you can significantly reduce textile waste by avoiding impulsive purchases and waste. Moreover, knitting offers the possibility of recycling raw materials such as wool or cotton scraps to create ecological and economical projects. By choosing high-quality, sustainable, and environmentally friendly raw materials, we can contribute to a more responsible lifestyle while having fun and developing our knitting skills.

With the rise of vintage, customized clothing, and the change in fashion consumption modes, the DIY trend has truly become popular in recent years, making room for creative activities like knitting. Today, knitting one’s clothes is no longer synonymous with old-fashion, but indeed with self-assertion and creativity. This allows those who knit their own clothes to: 

• differentiate themselves: the clothes are unique, sometimes symbolic. The cut, the wool, the colors, the shape… Everything is tailored to your image. You wear your garment, the one that was thought out and created by your hands. It’s no longer a mere piece bought on sale and coming from the other side of the world. It’s the one that represents you.

• consume differently: with the diy trend, we buy less without necessarily adhering to the minimalist current. We refocus our purchases towards pleasurable activities that provide us with emotion and not instant gratification. Knitting allows all this, and thus indirectly contributes to the rise of a more committed fashion.
  

➡️ Don’t miss these 3 other fashion trends inspired by the DIY movement.

Cover image: © Unsplash/RocknWool