Knitting is both a global hobby (with huge online communities) and a real consumer market (yarn, tools, patterns, classes). Below is a data-first snapshot of how many people knit, how they buy supplies, how active knitters are, and what the market looks like right now.
Knitting Statistics (Top Highlights)
- More than 50 million people “know how to knit, crochet and craft with yarn,” according to the Craft Yarn Council.
- ~38 million people in the U.S. knit yarn (Grand View Research cites the Craft Yarn Council).
- In a 2024 yarn consumer survey (7,000+ respondents), 84% knit, 73% crochet, and 58% do both.
- 53% of knitters in that survey said they knit every day.
- In 2022, the Ravelry community logged ~1.1 million knitting projects (out of ~1.3 million total projects).
- Ravelry members reported knitting 328.8 million yards of yarn in 2022.
- An international study of 3,545 knitters found a relationship between knitting frequency and feeling calm and happy; knitting in groups was linked to higher perceived happiness and stronger social connection.
How many people knit?
Counting “knitters” depends on the definition (people who know how vs. active knitters). Industry groups frequently cite tens of millions of yarn crafters; the Craft Yarn Council’s public-facing estimate is 50+ million people who know how to knit/crochet/craft with yarn.
For a more knitting-specific U.S. figure, Grand View Research (in a U.S. knitting-yarn market outlook) cites the Craft Yarn Council and states ~38 million people in the U.S. knit yarn.
Knitting vs. crochet overlap (yarn consumer survey)
A large consumer yarn survey summarized by Craft Industry Alliance (2024) shows heavy overlap between knitting and crochet among yarn consumers: 84% knit, 73% crochet, and 58% do both.
| Label | Bar | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knit |
| 84% | ||
| Crochet |
| 73% | ||
| Both knit and crochet |
| 58% |
Max = 84%. Widths: Knit 100.00%, Crochet 86.90%, Both knit and crochet 69.05%.
How often do knitters knit?
In the same 2024 yarn consumer survey summary, 53% of knitters reported knitting every single day—a useful indicator that a large segment of knitters behaves like “daily users,” not occasional hobbyists.
Online communities: Ravelry activity (projects, patterns, yarn used)
Ravelry publishes annual community stats that offer a rare “at scale” view of knitting behavior. In 2022, the community reported:
- ~1.3 million total projects, including ~1.1 million knitting, ~225k crochet, and ~8k weaving.
- 87,106 patterns added to the database in 2022 (with 70,000+ published that year), taking the database to nearly 1.2 million patterns.
- 328.8 million yards knit (and 56.6 million yards crocheted).
| Label | Bar | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knitting projects |
| 1,100,000 | ||
| Crochet projects |
| 225,000 | ||
| Weaving projects |
| 8,000 |
Max = 1,100,000. Widths: Knitting projects 100.00%, Crochet projects 20.45%, Weaving projects 0.73%.
Knitting shopping and pattern discovery (what the surveys show)
Consumer survey summaries point to a digital-first pipeline for many knitters—especially for pattern discovery—even when yarn is still often purchased in-store.
- In 2024, 56% of respondents said they buy more yarn online now than the prior year, while 38% still said they prefer shopping in person.
- Among ages 25–34, average annual spend reported was $411 online vs. $215 in stores.
- For patterns, 64% reported using online marketplaces and 19% using online stores; 70.4% said Ravelry is their primary source of inspiration.
- In 2025 (6,300 respondents), the survey summary reported an average of 19 projects started and just over 16 completed per year (an 84% completion rate overall).
Knitting market size (yarn and retail indicators)
Because “knitting” spans hobby crafting and industrial textiles, market sizing varies by definition. Two commonly cited market lenses are the broader yarn market and knitting-specific retail yarn segments.
- U.S. knitting yarn ball retail market revenue: $1,352.6 million in 2024, with a forecast of $1,969.7 million by 2033 (Grand View Research).
- Global yarn market size: estimated at $14.30B in 2024 and $14.98B in 2025 (Mordor Intelligence).
- Knitting & crochet market growth: Technavio projects market growth of $12,279.9 million over 2025–2029, with a cited 6.9% CAGR.
Knitting and wellbeing (research-backed stats)
Beyond market metrics, knitting is frequently studied as a wellbeing-supporting activity. A widely cited occupational therapy study used an online survey of 3,545 knitters worldwide and reported:
- A relationship between knitting frequency and feeling calm and happy.
- More frequent knitters reporting higher self-rated cognitive functioning.
- Group knitting associated with higher perceived happiness plus improved social contact and communication.
These findings come from Riley, Corkhill, and Morris (2013) in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Knitting trend signals (pandemic-era growth example)
Some countries reported noticeable knitting uptake during the pandemic era. In the UK, a 2022 report attributed to the UK Hand Knitting Association estimated about 1 million people took up knitting since the start of the pandemic, bringing the total to around 7 million knitters.
Sources
- Craft Yarn Council: https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/
- Grand View Research (U.S. knitting yarn ball retail market outlook): https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/knitting-yarn-ball-retail-market/united-states
- Craft Industry Alliance (Yarn Consumer Survey Results 2024): https://craftindustryalliance.org/the-size-of-the-yarn-market-yarn-consumer-survey-results-2024/
- Craft Industry Alliance (Yarn Consumer Survey Results 2025): https://craftindustryalliance.org/the-size-of-the-yarn-market-yarn-consumer-survey-results-2025/
- Ravelry Blog (2022 Community Stats): https://blog.ravelry.com/2022-community-stats/
- Riley, Corkhill & Morris (2013) PDF copy: https://www.simplypsychology.org/wp-content/uploads/riley-et-al-2013-the-benefits-of-knitting-for-personal-and-social-wellbeing-in-adulthood-findings-from-an-international.pdf
- Technavio newsroom (knitting and crochet market): https://newsroom.technavio.org/knitting-and-crochet-market
- Mordor Intelligence (yarn market): https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/yarn-market
- The Guardian (UK knitting uptake report, 2022): https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/09/tom-daley-effect-spurs-men-to-take-up-knitting-amid-home-crafting-boom