The resurgence of craft

Craft seems to be experiencing a new wave of popularity, especially around my area. I've been pondering why this is.

I think there's a number of features of craft that align with urban culture. Craft is:

• Unique - moving away from mass-produced items to hand-made, one-of-a-kind, with all the associated quirks;
• Creative - art and self-expression are so highly valued in this culture;
• Self-sufficient - being able to sew, knit, crochet, mend clothes, etc, means that you're not as reliant on others;
• Eco-friendly - if you are crafty, there's so much more potential to re-fashion old items of clothes, or recycle vintage bedsheets or op-shop finds;
• Genuine - that is, a hand-crafted present takes a lot more thought and time than a purchased one - it reflects an added level of investment;
• Productive - a way of resting that is still useful and has something to show - this can be problematic, if we think that rest is only justified by what is produces - but also fun and can bring a nice satisfaction in completing something;
• Fostering of community - lots of my craft enthusiasm has been inspired by others. Friends have taught me to knit and crochet, given me hand-crafted presents, shown bags, talked about sewing projects, and I've spent many enjoyable hours sitting around casually with friends while crafting. It facilitates casual, low intensity time together.

There's probably other things, too, but that's what I thought of while hanging out the washing. This scarf is my latest craft project, which I finished this morning.