Swiftie Recreates Taylor Swift’s Colorful Striped Crochet Mini Dress (Exclusive)

• Kayla Benedetti was inspired by Taylor Swift’s crochet mini dress VRG GRL and tried to recreate the look
• Benedetti needed just $11 for yarn and 12 hours to bring the look to life
• The self-taught crochet artist went viral on TikTok with her series recreating the singer’s trendy summer look

When Kayla Benedetti woke up on Monday, June 24, and saw photos of Taylor Swift in a colorful striped crochet minidress all over her social media, her jaw dropped.

Benedetti, a big Swift fan from Milford, Connecticut, started crocheting five years ago. She is completely self-taught, learning all the basic stitches – slip knot, chain stitch and granny cluster – from online videos.

Her crochet career began with a granny square cardigan, but her favorite creation to date is a Persian tile blanket designed by Janie Crow.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, my worlds are colliding,'” the elementary school art teacher tells PEOPLE exclusively, recalling her excitement when she saw Swift’s VRG-GRL bell-sleeved outfit.

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Shortly afterwards, the 27-year-old posted a TikTok video asking if other Swifties wanted to copy the look. At first she was unsure if she could do it herself, but the overwhelming response convinced her otherwise.

“People were like, ‘Nope, you have to do this, you have to do this,'” says Benedetti. “That’s how this whole series evolved. I did a crochet-along on TikTok and shared every step of the process.”

For the dress, Benedetti bought four skeins of yarn and used a size 4 crochet hook she already owned. She started crocheting at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday and worked most of the day while watching Swift’s movie “Era’s Tour.” The dress was finished by noon on Wednesday.

In total, it took 12 hours to create and cost only $11.

“I know a lot of people are looking for patterns, but once you get the hang of crocheting, it’s such a simple stitch that you can do it,” she explains. “It didn’t take me very long. I also decided not to do the sleeves because it’s summer and hot here, but I know I can add them later if I want.”

Since posting her 12-part TikTok series documenting the process of making the dress, Benedetti has been tagged by other Swifties showing off their yarn choices and progress. She’s also received numerous direct messages asking for detailed instructions, which she’s happy to provide.

“It’s absolutely beginner-friendly,” she assures. “You can’t find a more beginner-friendly project. There are some tricky parts, like the decreases at the neckline, but overall it’s doable.”

“I also taught new people how to crochet, which was super exciting,” she adds.

After attending two Eras tour shows in Boston and New Jersey, Benedetti says she would “definitely” wear the outfit to another show. She’s also keeping an eye out for future crochet items that Swift might wear.

Benedetti now wants to use the excess yarn to sew a matching dress for her cat.

“I’ve always been a Swiftie,” she says. “It’s so fun to see this community continue to grow and find new ways to connect.”

“We started with friendship bracelets and now everyone wants to learn to crochet. (Taylor) is really ushering in a new era of crafting,” she adds.