The Korea Times
When planning my stay in Seoul, the thing I was most looking forward to wasn’t the food or the K-pop concerts — it was finally being able to visit a brick-and-mortar yarn store. Back in China, crocheting and knitting have gained traction in recent years. From famous actresses to lifestyle influencers, people are reclaiming the craft that was once considered something only our grandmothers did. However, this booming community exists almost entirely online. Like many young Chinese makers, I learned to crochet through a screen. I watched tutorials on Xiaohongshu, China’s equivalent of Instagram, bought the exact yarns the influencers recommended via e-commerce links, and finished my first handbag without ever stepping foot in a craft store. It was highly efficient. However, the moment I wanted to stop blindly following online patterns and start exploring the tactile possibilities of different yarns, I hit a wall. In Shenzhen, the bustling tech powerhouse I call home, there is only one dedicated yarn store. It mostly sells imported skeins so expensive — around $20 to $70 for a mere
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