This week’s recommendation comes from:
Beatriz Strawhun
Mathematics Fellow
Beatriz says, “I recently took a knitting class to support a friend in a new endeavor since she lost her small business as the result of the pandemic. We started with socks. Why socks? Because we like a good challenge, I guess. What I did not realize was that beside the kindness and camaraderie that I gained from joining a knitting group, there was a host of mental and emotional benefits that came along with the calming practice that is knitting. Who knew!
Olympic Diver Tom Daley’s Knitting Habit Has Mental Health Benefits, Experts Say
Valerie DeBenedette
“With hobbies like knitting and crocheting, that repetitive motion itself is very therapeutic. It allows your mind to kind of take a step back from whatever is bothering you—or causing you frustration or stress—and allows you to zone out while your mind focuses on that repetitive motion.” – Sarah Guenther-Moore, PR coordinator of Craft Yarn Council
The repetitive motion of knitting has a host of benefits. During the 2021 Summer Olympic gold medal winner Tom Daley shared how his love for “knitting and crocheting and all things stitching” helped keep him sane. The majority of respondents in a survey by the Craft Yarn Council said making yarn creations relieves stress and helps the knitter slow down. And some studies in medical journals, including the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, have found knitting had significant psychological and social benefits that contribute to wellbeing and quality of life.