'Knitting' That Cured Depression... Considering Overseas Expansion to Promote K-Suye [Content Commerce]

A knitting channel that started by chance,
helped overcome depression
Jeong Mikyung, CEO of Tteullaea,
plans to promote K-needlework overseas this year

"Knitting is a way to calm the mind. As you weave each strand of yarn, you forget distracting thoughts and comfort yourself."

Jeong Mi-kyung, CEO of the needlework and yarn specialty brand 'Tteullaea,' was a full-time housewife until her 40s. At the age of 41, she gave birth to a late child and simultaneously began caring for her father who was suffering from dementia, which led to depression. During this difficult period, she recalled the knitting skills she had learned from her mother, a hanbok designer, during her childhood. The Tteullaea YouTube channel, which started in 2017, was created as a way to communicate with the outside world. While consistently uploading knitting content on the channel, her depression noticeably improved. Taking this as an opportunity, Jeong founded the needlework and yarn specialty brand Tteullaea. The brand name Tteullaea was chosen because of the pleasant sound of the phrase "Hamkke Tteullae?" meaning "Shall we knit together?"

Jeong Mi-kyung, CEO of Tteullaea, being interviewed at a cafe. (Photo by Cafe24)

Now in its eighth year, the Tteullaea YouTube channel has grown to 122,000 subscribers and over 20 million cumulative views. CEO Jeong said, "The most rewarding moment is hearing stories from subscribers who started knitting after watching the channel and overcame their mental struggles." To enhance her expertise, she obtained more than seven certifications from the Japan Needlework Association while growing her YouTube channel.

The popularity of Jeong’s YouTube channel is largely due to the "easy patterns." She designs the patterns herself and shares them through videos, helping anyone complete a garment within a week by following along. It’s not just about simplicity; the patterns are designed with attention to the garment’s silhouette. Knitted clothes can sometimes look loose or bulky if the stitches are uneven. Tteullaea’s patterns minimize these drawbacks and are carefully crafted so that the finished garments look natural and sophisticated. Through her YouTube videos, Jeong explains the elements that determine the silhouette of the clothes, making it easy for beginners to follow.

One viewer even shared a review saying she used Jeong’s pattern to knit a dress as a gift for her daughter, who wore it for her wedding photoshoot. Jeong said, "Having knitted for over 15 years, I have studied design aiming to reach a professional level beyond a simple hobby. I can identify which lines look natural when viewing clothes and apply that knowledge to knitting."

The Tteullaea channel offers various knitting yarn-related products for purchase. Recently, they opened a D2C (Direct To Consumers) store built using the e-commerce platform Cafe24, as well as a 'YouTube Shopping Exclusive Store' to sell knitting-related products. These products can be found under the 'Store' tab on the Tteullaea channel and in various content. Recently, they launched 'Hanol,' a hanji yarn made from mulberry paper fabric, along with related packages, which doubled the brand’s overall sales. Hanol sold out twice and became popular enough to sell over 1,000 kg during the summer season.

She said, "Most of Tteullaea’s recognition comes through the YouTube channel, and about 80% of total online sales are generated through traffic from the channel. It’s great that customers can see the products directly in the content and naturally be led to purchase."

CEO Jeong is considering overseas expansion to promote K-needlework. Foreign subscriber comments can be seen on the Tteullaea channel. Based on this, she is reviewing plans to enter overseas marketplaces within the year, starting with the flagship product Hanol. Jeong said, "I want to introduce the charm of Korean knitting to the global market through Korea’s unique 'hanji yarn.' I will work even harder to create easy and friendly content so that anyone can find comfort through knitting."