Russian women “under stress” began to buy knitting needles twice as often

The announcement of partial mobilization on September 21, 2022 was another stressful shock for the Russians. If at the end of February and in March, Russians were in a hurry to buy durable goods (canned food, sugar, cereals), as well as to be in time for shopping in stores of brands that announced their withdrawal from Russia, now the trend has changed. Nobody buys canned food anymore – now the Russians are thinking about goods that can help maintain peace of mind.

According to the data provided by the popular online store, the leaders in demand in September 2022 were yarn, fabrics, beads, needlework ribbons, modeling kits, thread kits, sewing accessories, craft kits and knitting needles, embroidery kits… In a word, everything that is commonly called “hobby goods”. At the same time, as marketers note, the most popular hobby in Russia is sewing, knitting and embroidery. The popularity of sewing kits in the first autumn month increased by 101% (compared to the same period last year), patterns for cutting fabric – by 292%, needle beds – by 109%, and patterns – by 260%. Sales of knitting needles in pieces increased by 129% compared to last year, of hooks by 146% and of embroidery hoops by 110%.

“The most dynamic pace in September 2022 was the growing interest of buyers in products for creating various types of crafts, the manufacture of which, according to psychologists, helps to switch from everyday routine with the help of motor activity, reduce stress and anxiety. Compared to last year, the demand for molds for making candles increased by 715%, for soap-making equipment – by 193%, sets for making molds – by 337%, and modeling dough – by 172%. Sales of beads over this period increased by 253%, beads – by 194%, and threads for macrame and floss – by 102%,” the online store’s press service said.

In September, residents of Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg and the Krasnodar Territory bought most of all such products. Well, the sharpest growth in demand for hobby goods was recorded in Dagestan (356% more than a year ago), in the Jewish Autonomous Region (+338%), Primorsky Krai (+295%), Buryatia (+251%) and Khabarovsk region (+201%).

There are several explanations for this trend. The growth in demand for such things as patterns for cutting fabric or patterns, as well as for knitting needles, suggests that after the departure of Western clothing brands familiar to buyers from Russia and the rapid rise in prices for the remaining part of consumers, it came to the conclusion that sewing or knitting things on your own can be easier and more profitable. As MK wrote earlier, back in the summer of 2022, the demand for cutting and sewing courses increased, and they were in demand mainly among young women (up to 40 years old).

However, experts who have been sewing for themselves and to order for many years warn: firstly, sewing really high-quality things can cost even more than buying them, and secondly, good threads, fabrics and accessories are also most often imported. – and Russia is not yet ready to offer worthy analogues. As an experienced designer-tailor Vladimir Kamenov told MK, for good things, most craftsmen would prefer to buy expensive Italian fabrics anyway.

– For everyday consumables, we have Belarusian materials, and the same Ivanovo knitwear, they are not bad in their niche. With cotton and some synthetic materials, Russia can handle it. Silk is more difficult, but linen can be made good using more expensive fiber processing methods, but this will increase the price. Difficult issue with fittings. Good synthetic threads are made in the Russian Federation, which are suitable, for example, for outerwear: they are very durable! But our natural threads are bad, so the problem is with things that have a risk of shrinkage, for example, woolen trousers or dresses. It is impossible to solve all these issues at once; a more complex multi-stage solution is needed here. So I would not recommend counting that self-sewing will save your wallet and wardrobe at once, the master explains.

Another explanation is psychological: knitting, embroidery and other needlework (along with modeling, drawing, wood burning and other hobbies) allows you to simply occupy your hands and at least briefly distract yourself from current news and the disturbing situation around. As psychologist Anastasia Aleksandrova explained in a dialogue with an MK correspondent, doing a hobby is one of the most popular ways to escape reality, which can really help put your nerves in order.

– I recommend that my clients, if they are faced with anxiety, remember such hobbies: if you once loved to embroider or knit, now is the time to start again! This method has at least two advantages. Firstly, when a person is busy with needlework or, for example, modeling, he cannot be busy with the so-called. “doomscrolling”, that is, continuous scrolling through the news feed. Secondly, needlework develops fine motor skills, and such monotonous mechanical work in itself helps to calm down, normalize breathing, structure thoughts and get distracted. I know people who, in difficult periods of life, could embroider or knit day and night, and this saved them. So the trend is very understandable and very reasonable, I fully support and recommend joining.

The psychologist added that while doing needlework, you can also watch TV shows or, for example, listen to audio books – but in no case news releases, podcasts of political scientists or other channels devoted to current news, otherwise the whole effect of doing needlework will be nullified .

By the way, the demand for the services of psychologists in Moscow after September 21, 2022 increased by 11% – this follows from the data of a study of an online service for finding specialists.

Well, as for the growth in demand for goods for needlework, someone suggests that the explanation is much simpler: the school year began in September, and the program of the subject “Technology” (if old-fashioned, “Labor”) often involves needlework, especially for girls. So it is likely that the Russians who are now buying up embroidery needles, knitting needles and floss threads are just schoolchildren’s parents hurrying to pack their backpacks for classes, and the situation in the country has nothing to do with it.