Grandmacore: Why Gen Z is embracing old-fashioned slow hobbies

‘Grandmacore’ is taking social media by storm, as Gen Z finds inspiration and comfort in a host of hands-on, old-fashioned skills, writesDeirdre McArdle

Holly Browne working on a multicoloured blanket which she is crocheting. Photograph: Moya Nolan.

Knitting, crocheting, gardening, baking. All these pastimes have been labelled “grandma hobbies” on social media. Maybe 20 years ago, you may have associated knitting with an elderly woman in a rocking chair, but that image has had an upgrade. Gen Z is embracing these slow hobbies, and gaining some much-needed zen in the process.

The uptick in younger people taking up these grandma hobbies coincides with a rise in grandma-core videos on TikTok and Instagram. Grandmacore is all about a feeling of cosiness, nostalgia, comfort, and it’s become somewhat of a viral trend on social media. Under the grandmacore hashtag on TikTok, there are over 50,000 posts showcasing everything from funky crochet cardigans to nifty embroidery.