Hello fellow Knitters, it’s Leonie here from Wrapped in Fibre, hoping to help you on your journey of knitting success!

Today we are going to talk a little bit about stress and how knitting and crafts in general can help address stress and get us feeling good about life and ourselves again.

I don’t proclaim knitting to be some kind of wonder drug, but it is definitely suggested by many therapists and psychiatrists as a way of connecting back to oneself and as a method of dealing with stress and anxiety, no matter how large or little your stress levels may be.

Anyway, with any luck some of these following tips will help you out! So here we go!

The Feel of the Fibre

Wool, alpaca, cotton, cashmere, angora, mohair, silk, linen, camel, possum, yak and hemp are all natural fibres. Holding a ball, skein or roving of any natural fibre is extremely soothing on its own. There is something primal about the spinning of yarn, the skill and necessity of it dates back centuries and this somehow shines through when we work with yarn.

The more you work with different types of yarn the more you will appreciate the different textures of the fibres, the feel of it against your skin and even the smell of it as you work it through your hands and onto your needles.

A Meditative State

Whilst we are clicking away with our needles our mind tends to wander into a certain space. This is a beautiful thing that is just about only possible by years of meditation training or years of working with knitting. You may be able to tune out the TV and those around you as you go on a vacation in your mind and wander around its depths. For other people it might be about clearing their mind completely and thinking about nothing, a physical “ohm” as a monk might do.

Whichever method you are after, they are both achievable and both are proven to relieve stress.

The clicking of the Needles

This one ties back into meditation a little, but it deserves its own point on this list. Whether you use metallic or wooden knitting needles there is just something special about the sound they make as you whisk your way through your pattern. If you are on a good run you will start noticing a pattern in the way your needles click and this is extremely soothing; and not only to you either! The people around you, assuming they aren’t too against a little noise, will also enjoy the rhythm of the needles and it will help de-stress them too! This can be particularly nice to share with young ones as it’s a sound they will associate with cosy and safe times well into their older years.

Inspiration

I’m sure I’m not the only one that gets hundreds of ideas whilst I am knitting a blanket or jumper. In fact, sometimes it’s hard for me to even finish a project because my sense of inspiration has taken control and has sent me on a path down the road of “what else could I make”. Some people would give anything to become inspired in this way! There is a sense of purpose and calm that comes with this knitting inspiration that somehow relieves stress, you will never run out of things to knit or craft and that’s a little bit magical on its own.

A Sense of Accomplishment

A big part of stress management is having a sense of accomplishment. Setting a goal, sticking to it and seeing it through to the end gives us a fantastic feeling of having completed something we set out to do. Knitting is a great way of getting this sense of accomplishment. Whether your project is a beautiful child’s blanket or an intricate fairisle jumper, once we succeed at creating this goal, our hearts are filled with joy! There is sometimes a sense of whether or not you can complete your project, so once it’s done and you are happy, you not only get that sense of accomplishment but also a little bit of stress relief too.

Anyway that’s it for today my friends. I really hope this short article about how knitting can relieve stress has given you some ideas on how to relax and enjoy your crafts a little bit more. If you enjoyed it please consider sharing it with your knitting friends or maybe even with someone who is struggling with stress or anxiety in their life, you might just be able to give them a valuable coping skill!

Until next time, happy knitting and crocheting! Cheers Leonie. P.S. Thanks for reading, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for our latest updates!