If you’ve ever wondered whether your boyfriend would love you if you were a worm, maybe it’s time to ask him in a more creative way — like with a giant crocheted earthworm.
TikTok user @beginctd1jg likes to show off the crafts she makes as a way to pass time in her tiny home. On Jan. 22., 2025, they shared a new, strange bedfellow with her followers. The video went viral and now has 7.8M views, 1.6M likes, 49.6K saves, and over 4122 comments.
@beginctd1jg Tutorial on my YouTube if you want one @ beginnersamantha #crochet #crochettok #tinyhouse ♬ Nighty night – Bri 
The video shows a young woman yawning and walking up a ladder to a lofted bed area, where the camera pans across the bed and over a human-sized crocheted earthworm, complete with two eyes and a mouth.
Text overlay on the video reads: “Trying to go to bed in my tiny home remembering I have to sleep next to the giant worm I crocheted impulsively.” The DIY TikToker shared her YouTube handle in the caption, for those looking to create a worm of their own.
In her YouTube video tutorial (@beginnersamantha), she explains that the worm she created is as tall as she is, wiggling high at 5 feet six inches, and that it took her at least ten hours to make.
One of the more popular comments under her TikTok video reads, “is that the ALASKAN BULL WORM???” referring to an infamous massive pink-toothed worm who appears in the SpongeBob Squarepants animated universe.
What is crocheting?
Crochet is a craft involving looped and interlinked chains of thread using a hook tool. It dates back to the 19th century when crochet was “introduced into Ireland as a famine relief measure.” From there, it likely traveled across borders and into the homes of those who would go on to create some of our most beloved blankets hung across our grandparents’ sofas.
Crochet is often passed down from generation to generation, but currently, younger generations are making crochet cool again, with Gen Z particularly “hooked” on the pastime.
The giant crocheted worm gains a fan club
As @beginctd1jg has proven, almost anything can be crocheted. Some of the most popular things to crochet are blankets, winter hats, scarves, and Granny Squares, which can be made into a bigger blanket when stitched together.
The viral crafter’s YouTube channel shows examples of more traditional crocheted items, like holiday decorations, hats and bags, but she also shows off her creativity with unconventional items like crocheted pickles and fried eggs.
@beginctd1jg’s crocheted worm influenced others to create snuggly invertebrates of their own. In a Facebook group called Adults Only: Crocheting and Knitting, Facebook user Sara Kelley showed off her own worm to over 585.9K members.
The group post has over 14K likes and 1K shares, with 326 comments, some of which were group members showing off their own smaller versions of the viral crochet project.
Others, like Facebook user Allison Rice, made a different pop culture connection: “It’s giving granny off the SpongeBob ‘chocolate’ episode,” she wrote in a comment. Others left GIFs from the cartoon while some made similar references to another cartoon, Earthworm Jim.
Is crochet popular with Gen Z?
Crochet is rising in popularity with Gen Z, proven by the trending hashtag #crochettok and its 725.2K posts. Gen Z users can be seen proudly showing off their Granny Square blankets and other creations.
Annie Dabb provided some reasons in a post for Thred.com, an online magazine for Gen Z.
“These days, it feels more likely a 20-something will crave a Friday night in with their cat and their crochet instead of at the club,” she writes, noting that socializing is on the decline for young Britons and young people are seeking calmer, more wholesome alternatives to drinking and partying.
Others, like TikTok user @maliggayu_, like that crochet takes a long time to complete, and offers a way to detach from the stress that comes with being always online.
“‘Why do you love crocheting?’ Because it calms my anxiety by 99.9 percent,” she stated in a text overlay of a TikTok video.
The Discount Craft also provided insights on why crochet has started trending. “It has the same pull and attraction as thrifting does,” their blog post declares. “While crochet has a rich history, Generation Z is putting a modern spin on the tradition.”
If by spin they mean giant earthworms, then they are certainly on track.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Sarah Kelley via Facebook Messenger and @beginctd1jg via TikTok message and comment.
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