Looking for friends at any age can be quite the challenge. It can be intimidating to introduce yourself to new people, you never know if they are secretly hoping to bring more people into their circle, or if they’re fine with the social circle they have. And not everyone is going to be the perfect person for you to invest your time in. It’s ideal to have friends that share your values, interest, and hobbies. But where do you find people that fit all of these categories? Where do you find people to crochet with?
Some compare looking for friends as an adult like dating. You have to put yourself out there to meet someone. Maybe you’re at a coffee shop and overhear people talking about their favorite yarn store just up the street. They seem to be around your age or maybe you don’t care, so you approach and try to make a good first impression. There might not be as much pressure as looking for a partner, but talking to strangers? Who’s good at that?
You might get lucky trying to find friends that share a love for crafting, yarn, crochet or knitting because if they’re out crocheting in public, it’s pretty obvious there are some shared interests. Go say hi! Try to mingle and set up a crochet outing. You both crochet and have a shared activity that will take the pressure off the conversation.
Another option with a similar strategy is when you’re at a Joanns or Micheals, you might see people shopping for yarn. We all love to shop for yarn. Chat with them about what their current project is. What yarns have they used? Do they have any recommendations for you? Favorite hook brand?
All of these can be conversation starters. But maybe this process causes a bit too much anxiety for you. Maybe you’re not super confident making friends. I don’t think a single conversation I’ve had at my local yarn shop has led to a lasting friendship with a fellow crafter, and not for lack of trying. It can just be extremely awkward to ask for contact information or invite a stranger to a stitch night. They just weren’t looking for friends or found it too weird to give out their information.
The one place I have had great success connecting with other crocheters is online! And when you realize that I’m in my 20’s looking for other people in their 20’s to add to my life, where does everyone hangout? Social media.
There are a lot of virtual stitch nights especially since covid for people that get together weekly and want to talk all about their current wips. Facebook has a lot of groups for crochet that are centered around a location or a popular influencer.
I did however notice a lack of younger people in these types of groups. We just don’t think of using Facebook as much compared to other platforms or we think there just isn’t a group that enjoys making trendy projects. Crochet isn’t just for grandmas, and there should be a place where we feel comfortable with to talk about our hobby with people our own age.
While I love the groups I’ve been a part of and will continue to be a part of as they have helped support me in my crochet journey, we have created a new group! It’s for younger people in the Los Angeles area who want to be a part of meet ups and stitch nights in person.
There’s a lot of teenagers and young adults that want to learn to crochet but need help figuring out patterns and techniques. This is for you! We want to help teach the next generation about the wonder that is yarn. We want to make crazy crop tops and bucket hats. We want to have yarn swaps and crochet at cafes and breweries. Not to mention have each other become genuine friends we keep for years and years, not just someone to stitch with but people we really bond with. We want a community. And we are starting to build that for you.
If you’re in the LA area and want more crochet friends or someone to help you learn, come join! Get some yarn, get some advice, and take the pressure of getting more friends because you know all the members are there doing the exact same thing!
I hope this post has given you some confidence to expand your circle. The What’s the Stitch team will be looking out for you in the group and rooting for you on your crochet journey.
Joke of the week:
What did the crochet teacher say to the lazy student?
“You need to get a grip – on your crochet hook!”
Crochet Group Link: