JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Knitting, though not new, has been weaving its way into public awareness in recent months. There were the Winter Olympians who went viral for knitting between events, and a cardigan with two foxes worn in the movie "Project Hail Mary" that caused a knitting pattern to go viral. Those serious about the hobby recently gathered in Nashville for Yarn Fest. Reporter Leslie Eiler Thompson went there to see what she could stitch together.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: And this is really - this sweater is...
LESLIE EILER THOMPSON: It's over 80 degrees here in Nashville, but the folks in this room are wearing sweaters and scarves and ponchos that they made themselves.
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: So the pattern, again, is called Beatrice. It's adorned with the beaded...
THOMPSON: They are knitting enthusiasts, and they've gathered from across the country for Yarn Fest. There are breakout sessions about the latest in fiber arts trends, vendors with patterns, and of course, yarn and attendees who get really excited about knitting.
ANN SHAYNE: People enjoy being in this space with other people who love to do the thing that they love to do. And it's rare to get to see it at this scale.
THOMPSON: This is Ann Shayne. And she's a co-organizer of Yarn Fest, which is now in its second year. Shayne and her co-organizer, Kay Gardiner, have seen growth in fiber arts firsthand as founders of Modern Daily Knitting, a Nashville-based blog that's been around for more than two decades.
SHAYNE: Our readership continues to grow after all this time. I would say we're one of the larger readerships in the knitting world. I think it's safe to say.
KAY GARDINER: Tens of thousands. But it really feels like we're in a growth period again of interest in knitting.
THOMPSON: The growing interest in fiber arts is part of the granny-core trend, the movement of younger generations adopting analog hobbies as a way to spend less time in digital spaces. For members of Gen Z, like Ashe Caine (ph), who learned to knit at 12 years old from her great-grandmother, knitting is an easy and creative stress-reducing outlet.
ASHE CAINE: It feels productive to be able to make something with your hands. And it's also very accessible. You just need two wooden sticks and some string, and you are part of the club.
THOMPSON: Knitters and crocheters are also reaching outside their tight-knit community to bring awareness to social movements, like a 12-hour knit-a-thon to raise money to fight hunger. It happened on April 11, says knitting influencer Jen Geigley, who helped promote the knit-a-thon.
JEN GEIGLEY: You can do it by yourself. You can create a team. And we all fundraise together that day, and that's how we raised over half a million dollars to fight hunger.
THOMPSON: Fiber arts lovers like her don't stay hemmed in. They let their passion become a cause.
GEIGLEY: It's more than just a hobby to us. It's a movement, and it does a lot of good.
THOMPSON: While fiber festivals are popping up across the country, having one in Nashville has the advantage of featuring a bluegrass artist who regularly performs at the Grand Ole Opry, with fiddle player Stuart Duncan making an appearance.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
THOMPSON: For NPR News, I'm Leslie Eiler Thompson in Nashville.
(SOUNDBITE OF JEAN CARN, ET AL. SONG, "THE SUMMERTIME") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.