Needles click, fingers work fast and a multi-colored trail of fluffy yarn is interwoven into a beautiful new scarf.
This knitter has been working tirelessly in front of the television for hours after getting home for the day. Her mind is not on the project in front of her, but drifting in and out of thought.
This isn't your grandma knitting - it's actually an MSU student snuggled up on the futon in her dorm.
"Knitting has increased in this area since I starting work at Michaels, especially in the last two years," said Kim Mayes, a manager at Michaels, 540 Frandor Ave. in Lansing. "It used to be something people over 40 did. Now it's all ages."
But knitting didn't blossom overnight in the podunk Midwest - Mayes said it started out on the West Coast.
Once celebrities started knitting, younger people started to think it was a simple, fun task they could do, too. So now, companies are also creating more appealing yarns for teens and 20-somethings, Mayes said.
"They are coming out with new yarns," she said. "They have brighter, colorful textures, and it draws the younger crowd."
Sarah Christensen, an art history senior and avid knitter, agrees.
"I think it's becoming more popular with the fashion yarn," Christensen said.
Fashion yarn is exceptionally colored, extra furry yarn that can be used to knit hats, scarves, mittens and sweaters.
Not only does knitting provide students with clothing to help keep from getting frostbit in the winter, it also eases frayed nerves during the bustling school year.
"If you're really stressed out when you're studying, it's good to relax," no preference freshman Kelly McRay said.
But like any hobby, knitting does carry a price tag.
The cost of yarn varies quite a bit. Plain yarns can cost as low as $0.89, but novelty yarn gets pretty expensive.
"It depends on what kind of yarn you buy," history senior Shawna Levi said.
Levi said she buys her yarn from Meijer or Wal-Mart because it's cheaper there than at other places.
Still, the hobby can keep those extra pennies in your pockets.
"It's probably less expensive than movies or a night at the bar," Nancy McRay, owner of Woven Art, said.
Woven Art, 325 Grove St., is a knitting store that has been open in East Lansing for about a year. At Woven Art, avid knitters can find novelty yarn and get their yarn hand-dyed.
"We have a lot of yarn ranging from basic yarn, to wild, crazy yarns with glitter and things," McRay said. "We do stock organic cottons also."
But glitter or no glitter, one of the most rewarding feelings for students is the finished project.
"I like saying 'I made this,'" Brown said.
