What Will Crochet Look Like in 2040?

Every generation thinks they’ve reached the peak of technology.

Then twenty years later they’re explaining to confused children why they used to print MapQuest directions or carry CDs in giant binders.

Crocheters are no different.

Right now, we’re pretty impressed with ourselves. We have digital patterns, online yarn shopping, stitch-counting apps, and video tutorials for every project imaginable.

But what will crocheting look like in 2040?

Nobody knows for sure.

That won’t stop us from wildly guessing.

Smart Hooks Will Judge Us

Today’s crochet hooks are simple.

In 2040?

Your hook will probably connect to your phone, count your stitches automatically, and gently inform you:

“That was supposed to be a double crochet.”

You’ll argue with it.

The hook will be correct.

You’ll frog three rows anyway.

Some things never change.

AI Will Design Patterns

Artificial intelligence is already writing patterns. I didn’t say they were good patterns…but you’ve likely stumbled upon a few in your day-to-day on the internet.

By 2040, you’ll probably be able to type:

“Make me a cardigan inspired by my cat, my favorite coffee mug, and the emotional trauma of trying to learn foundation stitches.”

Thirty seconds later you’ll have a complete pattern.

Will the sleeves match?

That’s another question.

Yarn Will Become Ridiculously High-Tech

By 2040, yarn companies will stop asking whether they can and start asking whether they should.

Spoiler alert:

They won’t.

Mood Yarn

Changes color based on your emotional state.

Halfway through a project you’ll discover your sweater contains:

• Optimism Blue
• Mild Frustration Orange
• Pattern Rage Red
• Existential Crisis Gray

Future therapists will diagnose stress levels by examining unfinished blankets.

Accountability Yarn

This yarn knows how many unfinished projects you own.

When your WIP count reaches double digits, it starts asking uncomfortable questions.

“Shouldn’t you finish that cardigan first?”

Nobody needs that kind of negativity.

Predictive Yarn™

Using advanced AI, this yarn knows what projects you’ll start next month.

The replacement skeins arrive before you’ve even convinced yourself you need them.

The accuracy is unsettling.

Competitive Yarn

This yarn tracks the progress of nearby crocheters.

Your blanket reaches Row 45 and suddenly receives a notification:

Karen finished hers three days ago.

Smart Yarn Labels

Current labels:
“Machine wash cold.”

Future labels:
“Based on your previous projects, I recommend you buy three more skeins.”

“You’re not going to skip swatching, are you?”

“We both know you’re making modifications.”

No matter how advanced yarn becomes, there will still be one universal truth:

A crocheter will stand in front of a closet containing 147 skeins and say:

“I don’t have anything to work with.”

And somehow, even in 2040, that statement will feel completely reasonable.

Virtual Crochet Circles

Instead of meeting in person, some groups may gather in virtual reality.

Picture it:

You’re sitting in your living room wearing fuzzy slippers.

Your friend is in another country.

Your crochet buddy is on vacation.

Yet somehow all three of you are sitting around the same virtual coffee table complaining about yarn prices.

Honestly?

That part already feels realistic.

Self-Counting Stitch Markers

The most commonly lost item in crochet history may finally evolve.

Future stitch markers might:

• Count repeats
• Track rows
• Flash when you miss a stitch
• Send notifications

Current crocheters lose stitch markers inside couch cushions.

Future crocheters will lose them after forgetting the password.

Progress.

Pattern Reading May Become Optional

Instead of reading a pattern, you may simply wear smart glasses.

The glasses highlight:

• The next stitch
• Where increases go
• Which row you’re on
• How many stitches remain

Future crocheters may never know the joy of discovering they’ve been repeating Row 14 instead of Row 15 for an entire evening.

Project Bags Will Get Smarter

Today’s project bag:

A bag.

Tomorrow’s project bag:

• Built-in lighting
• Charging ports
• Yarn management systems
• Automatic row counters
• Emergency chocolate storage

Actually, let’s hope that last one becomes available much sooner.

The Great Granny Square Revival Will Continue

Let’s be honest.

No matter what technology does, granny squares aren’t going anywhere.

Crochet trends come and go.

Yarn brands come and go.

Hooks change.

Styles change.

But somehow granny squares survive every decade.

If archaeologists uncover a crochet project in the year 3000, there’s at least a 50% chance it will involve a granny square.

Future Crocheters Will Laugh at Us

Imagine a crocheter in 2040 saying:

“Wait… you counted stitches manually?”

“You downloaded PDF patterns?”

“You had to search for yarn substitutions yourself?”

“You bought yarn without scanning it with a smart fiber analyzer?”

We’ll sound ancient.

Which is exactly how we sound when we hear stories about crocheters copying patterns by hand from magazines.

Final Thoughts

Will any of these predictions come true?

Probably some.

Definitely not all.

But one thing seems certain:

In 2040, crocheters will still buy yarn they don’t technically need.

They’ll still start new projects before finishing old ones.

They’ll still play yarn chicken.

And they’ll still insist that this next project will only take a weekend.

Some technologies are destined to change.

Crocheter optimism is not one of them.

If you could invent one futuristic crochet tool or gadget, what would it do?

Things We Keep Our Yarn In Instead of a Yarn Bowl

Let’s be honest.

Yarn bowls are beautiful.

They’re elegant.

They’re handcrafted.

They’re sold in every yarn shop.

And yet most crocheters are currently pulling yarn out of something that was never intended to hold yarn in the first place.

Somewhere, right now, a skein of yarn is happily living inside a kitchen container, a purse, or a cardboard box.

This post is for those people.

1. The Popcorn Bowl

It starts innocently.

You’re crocheting on the couch.

You need something to stop the yarn from rolling across the room.

The giant popcorn bowl is empty.

Problem solved.

The bowl may never return to popcorn duty.

2. The Plastic Grocery Bag

The ultimate budget yarn bowl.

Pros:

• Free
• Lightweight
• Available everywhere

Cons:

• Sounds like a thunderstorm every time you move it

3. The Empty Ice Cream Bucket

One of crochet’s greatest unsung heroes.

Large enough for multiple skeins.

Has a handle.

Can survive a cat attack.

10/10.

4. The Mixing Bowl You Swore You’d Return to the Kitchen

You won’t.

You know it.

The family knows it.

The bowl belongs to the yarn now.

5. The Project Tote That Contains Everything Except Organization

Inside:

• Yarn
• Three hooks
• Two stitch markers
• A tape measure
• Receipts from 2023

Nobody knows how it all got there.

6. The Cat Bed

Not intentionally.

The yarn simply migrated.

The cat has accepted ownership.

You are now sharing.

7. The Laundry Basket

Part yarn holder.

Part project storage.

Part mystery container full of unfinished dreams.

8. The Empty Coffee Can

A classic.

Especially among crocheters who learned from parents or grandparents.

Nothing gets thrown away because everything might become useful someday.

And honestly?

They were right.

9. A Giant Mug

Works surprisingly well for center-pull cakes.

Also makes you feel sophisticated.

10. The Passenger Seat of Your Car

You know exactly who you are.

The yarn rides shotgun.

The groceries go in the back.

11. A Shoebox

Simple.

Reliable.

Cat-resistant.

Mostly.

12. The Bucket That Once Held Cat Litter

Washed thoroughly, of course.

But crocheters are resourceful people.

We see containers everywhere.

13. The Crochet Project Itself

Sometimes the yarn is simply sitting in the middle of the blanket you’re making.

It’s chaos.

But it’s efficient chaos.

14. The Random Basket You Found at a Thrift Store

You bought it because it looked cute.

You didn’t know why.

Now it’s holding yarn.

Its destiny has been fulfilled.

15. The “Temporary” Cardboard Box

It’s never temporary.

Ever.

Three years later the box is still there.

Now it contains six projects and a pair of reading glasses.

Conclusion

Yarn bowls are wonderful.

But crocheters are creative people.

Give us a ball of yarn and five minutes and we’ll find a perfectly acceptable substitute somewhere in the house.

The real question is:

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever used as a yarn bowl?

24,500 Subscribers Later… Thank You

Today my YouTube channel officially crossed 24,500 subscribers, and honestly, I’m still trying to process it.

When I first started sharing crochet videos online, I never imagined that thousands of people from around the world would one day be watching my tutorials, following my crochet journey, supporting my designs, and becoming part of this amazing creative community.

What started as simply sharing something I loved slowly grew into something much bigger than I ever expected.

Over the years, HodgePodge Crochet has become more than just a crochet channel. It has become a space filled with creativity, learning, experimentation, encouragement, late-night crochet sessions, yarn piles taking over the house, cats supervising projects 😂, and people who genuinely appreciate handmade art.

One of the things I love most about this community is how supportive and encouraging everyone has been through every stage of the process — even the messy stages.

And trust me… there have been MANY messy stages.

If you’ve followed me recently over on Patreon, then you’ve probably seen me deep in the process of designing the new Lattice Top. This pattern has gone through more revisions, frogging, measuring, grading, and restructuring than I can even count at this point. Some days I’ve completely reworked entire sections just trying to get the drape, fit, and stitch flow exactly the way I imagined it in my head.

But that’s also the beautiful part of designing.

Sometimes crochet patterns don’t appear perfectly on the first try. Sometimes they evolve slowly through testing, experimentation, mistakes, and learning. And honestly, I think sharing that process openly has become one of my favorite parts of this journey.

Seeing people excited about the Lattice Top while it’s still being developed has been incredibly motivating for me. Knowing that people genuinely care about the work behind the scenes makes all those long design sessions feel worth it.

As my YouTube channel continues growing, I have so many exciting things planned for the future:

• New crochet patterns
• More detailed tutorials
• Behind-the-scenes design content
• Crochet vlogs
• Morocco lifestyle content 🇺🇸🇲🇦
• More pattern testing opportunities
• More creative experiments and projects

I’m genuinely excited about where things are heading.

And to every single person who has supported this channel in any way — whether you subscribed, watched a video, left a comment, purchased a pattern, shared my work, or simply followed quietly from the background — thank you.

Your support means more than you probably realize.

Creative work can sometimes feel very solitary behind the scenes. There are long hours spent designing, filming, editing, writing instructions, troubleshooting mistakes, and doubting whether anyone will even care about what you’re creating.

But moments like this remind me why I started.

24,500 subscribers may just look like a number to some people, but to me it represents years of learning, growth, persistence, creativity, and community.

And honestly?

I feel like we’re just getting started.

Thank you all so much for being part of this journey with me 💛

You can follow along here: https://www.youtube.com/@HodgePodgeCrochet

– HodgePodge Crochet

In London, we also stopped by John Lewis for yarn, among other things. Sadly, the department has gotten smaller. I did buy some and will share soon!

#LaVischDesigns #Knitting #KnittingLife #KnittingLove #KnitterProblems #Yarn #YarnLove
#LondonShopping #YarnLover #JohnLewisFinds

This yarn bowl glaze is a winner. The other 50% in this run, a TOTAL LOSS 😢.

20 years into my pottery addiction, and I'm still learning the hard way.

This piece is listed in my Etsy Shop.

#yarnlover #yarnbowl #skeinyarn #handmadeyarn #woolyarn #crochet #knitting #bigdogpots