Put on your babushka and embrace the return of “granny hobbies” in Pittsburgh

Grab your babushka — Granny hobbies are back in style. Millennials and Gen Z are embracing these hobbies (think knitting, baking, and gardening) and enjoying the hands-on nature of them. These analog pastimes provide a comforting way to reconnect with each other and unplug from the dumpster fire of a world we live in right now. “So many aspects of modern life are competing for our attention in a way that we can’t control, leaving us feeling overwhelmed,” Julie Downs, a professor and department head in social psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “It can be a welcome break from those demands to let your mind focus on something of your own choosing, and to develop your fine motor skills in a way that lets your mind focus on things that bring less stress.” Here are some ways to channel your inner granny in the ’Burgh. Knit PIT meets at Eleventh Hour Brewing in Lawrenceville. Credit: Kate Rosenzweig Knit PIT Yarn Club Dubbing themselves a “modern crafting club,” Knit PIT hosts free monthly crafting nights at breweries, in addition to classes and workshops around the city. If you’re new to knitting, don’t let it deter you, as most who attend Knit PIT’s meetups are beginners. In addition to knitting, crocheting, embroidery, and mending are all welcome. Founder of Knit PIT Kate Rosenzweig started knitting in 2013 in her dorm room at Emerson College. She immediately became “addicted to it,” knitting every day for the rest of that year, and Rosenzweig hasn’t looked back since. Knit PIT was inspired by her fiancé going to Eleventh Hour Brewing to watch football on Sundays. Rosenzweig saw the time as a four-hour window to get knitting done. She then got the idea to start a knit night at Eleventh Hour, and Knit PIT grew from there. “There’s something really special about making something that exists in real life,” Rosenzweig says. “Knitting is real, and you need your entire brain for it,