A surgeon, a techie and a voiceover artist walk into a coffee shop. To find out what happens next, we speak to Bhakti Shah, whose punch needling workshops in the city draw in people from all walks of life to try their hand at the emerging leisure time hobby. “The crochet wave that took over the city last year put the spotlight on embroidery-based hobbies. Punch needling is a more beginner-friendly practice for the time-strapped Mumbaikar who is on the lookout for an easy hobby,” the Goregaon-resident, who took up punch needling in 2022, suggests.

For the uninitiated, punch needling involves using a thick hollow needle to pierce (thus, ‘punch’), yarn or thread through a fabric canvas to create textured artworks. Rainbows, flowers, emojis and motifs are ideal picks if they are your first attempt, we learn. “The size of the loops you create while punching determines how fluffy or flat the stitch will be. With the right mix, you can create some fun pieces,” she adds.