If you’re looking for books about knitting and mental health, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re drawn to personal stories of how knitting has supported wellbeing, interested in academic theory and research on the therapeutic benefits of crafting, or love pattern books that weave in reflections on healing and resilience, this list brings together a wide range of titles. Most of these books are specifically about knitting, but there are a few about craft more generally. There is also one about sewing which we decided to include as it touches on many of the same themes. Just like a a great knitting project we hope these books will offer insight, inspiration, and comfort.
Academic and instructional books about knitting and mental health
Knit for Health and Wellness: how to knit a flexible mind and more
Betsan Corkhill (2014)
This is a book designed for people who wish to use knitting to improve their wellbeing. It takes a whole person approach to health and wellness and is grounded in Betsan’s research and work in the field of therapeutic knitting. It is a broad approach that includes not physical and mental health, offering practical advice on how to use knitting for the benefit of your own health and wellbeing.
The Mindfulness in Knitting: meditations on craft and calm
Rachael Matthews (2016)
This is a little book about the link between knitting and mindfulness. It is part of the ‘mindfulness series’ which includes similar books related to singing, walking and baking. It reads like a series of essays on the subject of mindfulness and knitting, and includes some stories from the author’s personal life. Exercises, some mindfulness-based, and others-crafted based, are included.
Craft Psychology: How crafting promotes health
Anne Kirketerp (2024)
This is a comprehensive book with a lot of focus on knitting and other yarn craft. It is written by a psychologist and craft teacher and gives a thorough overview of the research in the field of craft and mental health. The author introduces her own model to understand how craft can benefit our mental and physical health. She also brings in psychological research into concepts such as ‘flow’ to offer explanations for what happens when we engage in craft. She breaks down crafts in different ways in terms of what they require – how much instruction or structure is required to highlight when we might choose one craft over another.
Craftfulness
Arzu Thasin & Rosemary Davidson (2019)
Written by two journalists who are also friends and keen crafters, this book outlines the argument for how and why craft is good or our mental health. It also includes a range of simple but effective craft ideas to inspire you to try something new.
If you’d like a fuller review of this book and Craft Psychology we discussed them both in this bookclub episode of the Why I Knit podcast.
The Point of the Needle: why sewing matters
Barbara Burman (2023)
This is a book written by a former academic about the practice of sewing throughout history. It also describes new research conducted during the pandemic about why people continue to engage in sewing. While it centres on sewing, there is much that is also applicable to knitting in terms of why we engage in making our own clothes.
Personal narratives about knitting and mental health
Hooked: How crafting saved my life
Sutton Foster (2021)
This is primarily a memoir about Sutton Foster’s relationship with her mother and her journey to become a mother, and the way in which she has used craft as an important coping strategy throughout her life. She also writes about how cross-stitch offered Sutton a new way of connecting with her mother. There are a few crochet patterns and recipes sprinkled throughout the book but it is primarily a memoir.
A Stash of One’s Own: Knitters on loving, living with and letting go of yarn
Edited by Clara Parkes (2017)
This is a collection of essays written by knitters, authors and designers about their relationship with their yarn stash. It makes some really interesting points about the importance of women ‘taking up space’ in their own homes and the multiple meanings held in our stash of yarn.
A Life In Stitches: Knitting my way through love, loss and laughter (10th anniversary edition)
Rachael Herron (2021)
This is a memoir using knitting projects to discuss relationships, grief and family. The 10th anniversary edition also contains updates added a decade on, at the end of each chapter.
Knitting Yarns (2013) and Knitting Pearls (2015)
Edited by Ann Hood
These are both collections of essays by writers about knitting, knitted items or even not knitting. They aren’t about mental well-being specifically, but all essays on the meaning of knitting. There are a few patterns interspersed, but primarily narratives about knitting.
Pattern books about knitting and mental health
These are books with colour photos, knitting patterns and instructions written by knitwear designers with accompanying essays or narratives.
Knitting for Radical Self-Care
Brandi Cheyenne Harper (2021)
This is a knitting pattern book, however it is written with very clear values and examines how systemic inequalities and capitalism contribute to burn out, and is a clear invitation to challenge these systems and use knitting to engage in radical self-care. It features a series of knitting patterns each accompanied by an essay. There is also a comprehensive section on basic knitting techniques with colour photos.
Knit it out
Laerke Bagger (2024)
This is a book by knitwear designer Laerke Bagger’s complex relationship with her father, and her grief following his death. She shares some very interesting and thoughtful views on her experience of knitting as a coping strategy during grief. In addition, Laerke has a very interesting and innovating approach to knitting which encourages the knitter to abandon some of the usual ‘rules’ about knitting and to take a more creative and experimental approach to knitting, with a focus on meeting the needs of the knitter. You can read about how making the “Bit by Bit Sweater” from this book helped me to connect to my values.
This list is not complete and we will add to it over time. If you are aware of any books that should feature on the list please let us know!
