What is psychological flexibility?

Psychological flexibility is our ability to stay present with our experiences, make room for difficult thoughts and feelings, and take action guided by what matters to us.

It’s not about always feeling calm or positive. Instead, it’s about how we respond when things don’t go quite as we’d hoped.

And knitting gives us plenty of opportunities to practise!

How can knitting help us practise psychological flexibility?

Whether we’re learning to knit, choosing a new project or working through a tricky pattern, knitting invites us to notice our experiences and make choices about what we do next.

In this presentation, we explore how the everyday experience of knitting connects with ACT’s three core processes: getting present, opening up and doing what matters.

Purls of Wisdom: Knitting, psychological flexibility and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy…

The post Knitting and psychological flexibility: an ACT perspective appeared first on Creative Restoration.

Many people experience periods of low mood or depression at some point in their lives. During these times, everyday tasks can feel overwhelming, motivation can disappear, and it can become difficult to find moments of pleasure, purpose, or connection. For many knitters, knitting becomes part of the way we navigate these experiences – not as a cure or a replacement for professional support, but as something that can offer comfort, structure, creativity, and hope.

On the Why I Knit podcast, Clinical Psychologist Dr Mia Hobbs has spoken with a range of people who have reflected on their experiences of low mood and depression. These conversations explore how knitting can provide gentle companionship during difficult times, create opportunities for self-expression, foster connection, and support emotional wellbeing. They also unpack why knitting is so especially suited to supporting low mood.

This collection may be especially helpful if you:

• are living with low mood or depression, or supporting someone who is
• have found it difficult to reconnect with activities you once enjoyed
• are curious about the role knitting can play in emotional wellbeing and recovery
• have your own story about how knitting has helped you through difficult times
• want to hear honest, hopeful stories of lived experience

We hope you enjoy these conversations. If you’re curious to hear our thoughts on a selection of these listen below to our bonus re-listen episode:

Podcast conversations exploring knitting, low mood and depression

🎙️ Knitting saved my life with James McIntosh

S1 E3 (released 9/12/21)

James McIntosh taught himself to knit with chopsticks and string when he had been so low in mood that he couldn’t leave his bed. He now credits knitting with saving his life.

🎙️ Knitting for a sense of achievement with Liz O’Riordan

S2 E7 (released 14/4/22)

Liz O’Riordan is a breast surgeon who has herself experienced cancer, twice. Liz is also a lifelong knitter and more recently a sewer. She described hoe knitting has supported her through difficult times, including periods of low mood.

🎙️ Knitting as a safe space with Ellen of Sew and Inspire

S4 E1 (released 15/12/22)

16 at the time of the podcast interview Ellen describes how knitting has supported her through difficult periods of depression and anxiety by giving her comfort, hope, connection with others and building confidence in herself.

🎙️ Knitting to refill my mental health bucket with Dr Kaman Hansford

S5 E4 (released 6/7/23)

Kaman is a GP who talks about her experience of post-natal depression and how knitting has supported her through this and other difficult periods of her life.

🎙️ Crochet is a reason to live with Kathryn Vercillo

S5 E6 (released 20/7/23)

Kathryn speaks about crochet has helped save her life during periods of depression, and also talks about how she used crochet to help her through the grief following her friend’s death through suicide.

🎙️ Hooked on knitting with Adam Cleevely

S8 E5 (released 18/1/24)

We speak about Adam’s experience of using knitting, alongside therapy and medication, to support his journey in managing depression and about how it was able to offer him tangible results that he wasn’t able to access in his previous career as a CEO.

Further learning

If you’d like to learn more about the psychological science behind how and why knitting benfits our mental health check out our on-demand webinar The Healing Power of Knitting.

Sign up to our newsletter here to receive future content about knitting and mental health.

The post Podcast episodes about knitting, low mood and depression appeared first on Creative Restoration.

As a psychologist, much of my therapy work involves supporting people who are struggling with depression and low mood. While it is important to seek professional support if you are experiencing persistent low mood, we also know that therapy or medication alone are rarely the whole answer. Much of the work involved in overcoming low mood happens outside the therapy room, between sessions. As a result, I often talk with clients about the activities they can engage in each day to support their wellbeing. For those of us who are already knitters, knitting can be a simple, accessible, and effective tool to manage low mood.

One of the common traps associated with depression and low mood is that when we feel low, we often feel lethargic and unmotivated. As a result, we stop doing the things we usually enjoy, creating a vicious cycle that can maintain low mood.

One of the key elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for depression is ‘behavioural activation’. This involves scheduling activities that provide either pleasure, a sense of achievement, or ideally both. For those of us who already knit, knitting is an ideal activity for this purpose.

Here are five reasons why.

5 reasons knitting can help with low mood

1. Knitting is accessible, even from bed

When I ask guests of the Why I Knit podcast why they turned to knitting rather than another activity, they often say that knitting was something they could do even from bed on their darkest days.

We know that low mood can leave us feeling exhausted and lacking energy. At times, it can feel impossible to do anything at all. However, knitting is often accessible even when other activities feel out of reach.

As a psychologist, I see time and again that being able to do one small thing often creates momentum for doing another. A few rows of knitting can eventually lead to getting out of bed, going for a short walk, or tackling another task. One reason knitting is such a helpful tool for managing low mood is simply that it is easy to access when we need it most.

2. You can knit in tiny amounts

In addition to reducing motivation, low mood can make even small tasks feel overwhelming.

The fact that knitting can be done in tiny increments is therefore incredibly helpful. Picking up a knitting project for just a few minutes feels much more manageable than many other activities. This makes it more likely that we will actually do it.

Unlike activities that require significant preparation, knitting involves almost no set-up time. Even a few stitches contribute to a larger goal, the finished item, which means every effort counts.

In therapy, we are often reminded that the challenge is not finding the perfect strategy. The real challenge is finding something that feels achievable enough for people to try and continue with. Because knitting can be done in such small steps, it is particularly well suited as a tool for helping with low mood.

3. Knitting gives you a visible sense of achievement

Research into behavioural activation shows that activities which create a sense of achievement can be really beneficial in improving mood.

Knitting provides a visible and tangible reminder of progress. It also contains multiple milestones along the way, allowing us to experience achievement throughout a project rather than only at the end.

We can celebrate finishing a row, completing a pattern repeat, reaching a colour change, or finishing a sleeve. Each milestone reinforces the idea that we are capable of making progress and succeeding.

This links closely to self-efficacy, which is our belief in our ability to achieve goals. When we experience success in one area of life, that confidence often transfers into others. Nordstrand et al. (2024) found that knitting improved knitters’ self-efficacy and confidence.

4. Knitting can shift your focus away from negative thoughts

Many knitters interviewed on the Why I Knit Podcast, as well as participants in related research (Clave-Brule et al., 2007), report that one of knitting’s greatest benefits is its ability to draw attention away from distressing thoughts.

When we feel low, our thinking often becomes more negative. Spending long periods focused on these thoughts often makes us feel worse, and the vicious cycle continues.

These negative thoughts are frequently focused on the past or the future rather than the present moment. Research into mindfulness suggests that bringing our attention back to the present can be a helpful way to tackle low mood.

Knitting offers a practical way to do exactly that. The repetitive, rhythmic movements encourage us to focus on what we are doing right now. Many knitters tell me they struggle with traditional meditation, yet experience a similar sense of calm and presence when knitting.

By bringing our attention into the here and now, knitting can help reduce the impact of negative thought patterns associated with low mood.

5. Knitting can bring small moments of joy

For many knitters, knitting provides an accessible source of joy that can be woven into everyday life.

As a multi-sensory activity, there are many aspects of knitting that can lift our mood. This might be using the colours that make us smile, using soft yarn that feel soothing, or the excitement of casting on a new project.

It could also be the pleasure of discovering the perfect yarn or finding a pattern that inspires us.

These moments may seem small, but they can all add up. Even brief experiences of enjoyment can provide a valuable boost to our mood during difficult periods and help support our overall emotional wellbeing.

Knitting offers multiple benefits to our mood

As outlined above, the real strength of knitting lies in its ability to interrupt low mood in several different ways at once.

It can provide pleasure, achievement, mindfulness, confidence, and a sense of progress, all within a simple and accessible activity. While knitting is not a replacement for professional support when it is needed, it can be a valuable addition to the tools we use to manage low mood and support our mental health.

For more in-depth teaching on how and why knitting can benefit our mental health check out our live events and on-demand webinars.

The post Knitting for low mood appeared first on Creative Restoration.

With this in mind we started introducing Journal Club episodes to the Why I Knit podcast. Each episode explores at least one published research study into the wellbeing benefits of knitting (and sometimes crochet). We discuss and critique the rationale, methods and results from the studies, and consider the theoretical and practical implications of the findings. We also love to fantasise about the research we would do if we had the funding!

Here’s a roundup of the research we have covered so far in the Journal Club episodes. If there’s a study you’d like us to discuss, let us know!

Knitting and wellbeing research

🎙️ Healing stitches: A Scoping Review on the Impact of Needlecraft on Mental Health and Well-Being

(Le Lagadec et al., 2024)

This scoping review provides a thematic analysis of 25 research studies that explored the impact of needlecraft on mental health and wellbeing. It covered crafts including knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, embroidery and lace. Findings indicate an overwhelmingly positive effect on mental health and well-being and highlighted themes including boosting mood; supporting social connection and belonging; providing purpose and achievement; and supporting identity. This is a great resource for identifying primary research studies in this field

🎙️ The Benefits of Knitting for Personal and Social Wellbeing in Adulthood: Findings from an International Survey

(Riley at al., 2013)

This large survey study included over 3500 participants from 31 countries around the world. It aimed to explore why people knit and what the emotional, cognitive and social impacts of knitting are. We discuss the important and interesting findings of this study, as well as its limitations and unanswered questions.

Knitting and mental health research

🎙️ Knitting and eating disorders

(Clave-Brule et al., 2009)

We discuss a study investigating the impact of a knitting intervention in an inpatient unit for women with anorexia nervosa. Key findings include how knitting reduced anxious thinking and preoccupations.

🎙️ Promoting health through yarncraft: Experiences of an online knitting group living with mental illness

(Nordstrand et al., 2024)

This study explored how people living with mental illness experience knitting as an occupation. Participants were those who specifically spoke about using knitting to cope with difficulties such as depression and anxiety, in an online forum. We discuss the methodology and findings, and the unique insights this research adds to the literature.

🎙️ Knitting for anxiety and compassion fatigue

This Journal Club episode covers two studies that investigated the impact of knitting as an intervention for nurses. The first looked at how knitting can reduce compassion fatigue amongst oncology nurses (Anderson & Gustavson, 2016) while the second explored the impact of knitting on anxiety amongst nursing students (Meehan et al., 2025). We discuss the findings, thinking particularly about what knitting can offer in relation to professional self-care in a healthcare context.

Knitting and cognition research

🎙️ Crochet increases attention through a requiring motor skill learning

(Sebastiano et al., 2025)

This fascinating study published in Nature used brain imaging techniques to study the effects of crochet on attention. We summarise the complex design and explore the findings and their implications for everyday application

🎙️ Boosting inhibition control process by knitting at school

(Sonnier et al., 2023)

This experimental study involved primary school children and investigated whether knitting had an impact on inhibitory control, an important cognitive function associated with attention and focus. We critique the study and consider how this adds to our understanding of the benefits of knitting.

Knitting and physical health research

🎙️ The Effect of Creative Handicrafts Programme on Blood Pressure, Stress and Depression in Hypertensive Patients

(Parlak & Şahin, 2025)

Is it true that knitting can reduce blood pressure? This is a claim that is often cited, but with little proof to substantiate this. In this episode we discuss the one paper that has investigated this directly. This study investigated the impact of knitting and other handicrafts on blood pressure amongst a sample of nursing home residents. We critique the research and its findings, considering what conclusions we can safely draw from it.

The post Knitting, wellbeing and mental health research – Journal Club roundup appeared first on Creative Restoration.

We love getting cosy with a good book and geeking out about knitting, craft, creativity and psychology. And it’s especially fun when we can chat and geek out together. This is why we introduced occasional bonus Book Club episodes to the Why I Knit podcast. In these episodes we each read a book connected to knitting, creativity, craft, wellbeing or the arts and then get together to discuss our thoughts.

While our regular podcast episodes focus on conversations with knitters and makers, our Book Club episodes allow us to dive deeper into some of the ideas that sit behind knitting: what creativity does for our wellbeing, how craft supports us through difficult times and what research can tell us about the benefits of making.

We’ve gathered all of our Book Club episodes together here so they’re easy to find in one place.

Episode 1: The Psychology of Craft

Books discussed:

• Craftfulness by Arzu Tahsin and Rosemary Davidson
• Craft Psychology by Dr Anne Kirketerp

In our first Book Club episode, we each read a different book exploring the psychology of craft. We discuss what the research tells us about making, creativity and why craft activities can have such a powerful impact on our wellbeing.

Episode 2: Wintering and Burnout

Book discussed:

• Wintering by Katherine May

In this bonus episode we discuss Katherine May’s bestselling book Wintering and explore its relevance to burnout, recovery and the role knitting can play during life’s personal and seasonal winters.

Episode 3: Arts, Health and Wellbeing

Books discussed:

• Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross
• Art Cure by Daisy Fancourt

In this episode we discuss two fascinating books that explore the growing evidence linking creativity, health and wellbeing. We reflect on what the research tells us about the links between art and health, and how knitting relates to this.

Looking for more ways to learn about knitting and mental health?

If you enjoy learning about the research evidence in this field you might also be interested in our Journal Club episodes where we discuss published research studies about in detail. You can find all of these Journal Club episodes here.

And if you’d like to read more about knitting and mental heatlh yourself here is our curated collection of books about knitting and mental health.

The post Why I Knit Book Club: Exploring craft, creativity and wellbeing appeared first on Creative Restoration.

Burnout is more than ordinary stress. It’s a state of emotional, mental and physical depletion that happens when demands chronically outweigh the resources we have to meet them. It can leave us exhausted, detached, cynical, overwhelmed and unable to access the energy or joy we once had. As clinical psychologists burnout is something we work with a lot – whether that’s in the context of work, education, parenting or other caring responsibilities (and often all of these at once!)

At Creative Restoration, we’re particularly interested in the ways creativity can help protect us from burnout – and support recovery when we’ve already reached that point of depletion. Creative practice gives us opportunities to slow down, reconnect with ourselves, regulate our nervous systems, experience flow, express meaning and reconnect with hope.

Knitting is especially powerful in this regard. It offers both rest and engagement – occupying busy minds whilst gently soothing the body. It can create moments of mindfulness, connection, playfulness and self-compassion in lives that otherwise feel dominated by pressure and productivity.

Below you’ll find a collection of our resources including webinars, blogs and podcast episodes exploring burnout, creativity, rest, knitting and recovery. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed yourself, supporting someone else, or simply curious about the psychology of creative wellbeing, we hope these resources offer insight and encouragement.

Unravelling Burnout (On-Demand Webinar)

This webinar explores burnout through the lens of psychology, nervous system regulation, creativity and knitting. We look at why burnout happens, how it affects us emotionally and physically, and how knitting can support both prevention and recovery. It’s designed for knitters, creatives, helping professionals and anyone feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of modern life.

Understanding Burnout and Creativity

How creativity can protect you from burnout

This article explores burnout through the lens of creativity and explains why creative practice can act as a protective buffer against chronic stress and overwhelm. It explores five ways creativity supports wellbeing: helping us switch off, access rest, connect with others, reclaim our humanity and cultivate self-compassion. There’s also a particular focus on knitting as a uniquely restorative practice that combines mindfulness, rhythm, tactile comfort and flow.

Why I Knit bonus episode – Knitting for burnout prevention

In this special podcast episode of Why I Knit, Dr Mia Hobbs interviews Dr Paula Redmond about burnout prevention, emotional wellbeing and the therapeutic role of knitting. They discuss how knitting can help regulate the nervous system, create opportunities for recovery and provide a gentle antidote to the relentless pace of modern life. A good starting point if you prefer listening to reading.

Rest, Flow and Permission to Slow Down

Does knitting give you permission to rest or relax?

Many people struggle to rest, particularly those who are used to being productive, responsible or constantly “useful”. This article explores how knitting can offer a socially acceptable and psychologically safer route into rest. Knitting keeps restless hands occupied whilst gently encouraging us to slow down, breathe and soften out of stress mode.

Flow and rest in Unfolding Parallel Landscapes: Sketchbook Circle Series, Part 6

This piece explores the relationship between flow, creativity and restoration through a reflective stitching project. Flow states can provide a profound sense of absorption and respite from anxious thinking, whilst creative rest helps replenish depleted emotional resources. The article reflects on how textile practice can create spaces for both cognitive rest and nervous system recovery – important factors in burnout prevention.

Hope, Play and Recovery from Burnout

Hope, burnout and creativity: Sketchbook Circle Series, Part 5

Burnout often narrows our world. We can begin to feel trapped, hopeless and disconnected from possibility. This article explores the close relationship between hope and creativity, drawing on both psychological research and personal creative practice. Creativity can help reopen possibilities, reconnect us with valued identities beyond work, and restore a sense of agency and self-efficacy during burnout recovery.

Knitting as Play: Sketchbook Circle Series, Part 7

Playfulness is often one of the first things we lose during periods of stress and burnout. This article explores knitting as a form of play — an opportunity for experimentation, curiosity and pleasure without pressure or perfectionism. Reconnecting with play can be deeply restorative, helping us rediscover joy, spontaneity and creativity in everyday life.

Seasonal Wisdom and Burnout Recovery

Book Club Episode – Wintering by Katherine May

Katherine May’s Wintering has resonated with many people navigating burnout, exhaustion and life transitions. In this book club episode we reflect on themes of rest, retreat, recovery and the importance of honouring quieter seasons in life rather than constantly striving to push through. We think about what this means for our knitting practice.

Final Thoughts

Burnout recovery is not about finding one magical solution. It involves slowly rebuilding our capacity for rest, pleasure, connection, meaning and hope, with a heavy dose of self-compassion. Whilst the causes of burnout are systemic creative practices like knitting can play a surprisingly powerful role in this process – offering moments of calm, flow, agency and gentle self-expression in the midst of difficult times.

Whether you’re reaching for your knitting needles after a stressful day, rediscovering creativity after exhaustion, or simply trying to carve out small moments of breathing space in a demanding world, we hope these resources remind you that rest and creativity are not luxuries. They are part of what helps us remain human. What can you give yourself permission for today?

The post Knitting and Burnout: Resources for Burnout Prevention and Recovery appeared first on Creative Restoration.

I returned to knitting as an adult during my doctoral exams. After a visit to my mum, I went home with yarn, needles and a simple triangular shawl pattern in garter stitch. I quickly found that knitting was an ideal revision break. At the time, my revision involved writing analytical essays and grappling with complex statistics. In contrast, knitting drew my focus into small, steady hand movements. It engaged a different mental process and gave my tired mind a rest. This, in turn, helped me consolidate my learning and focus better.

The shawl was a helpful first project. It began with five stitches and grew gradually with increases on alternate rows. As the project expanded, so did my confidence. At the same time, knitting became a reliable source of calm. My attention was brought into the present moment by focusing on repetitive movements. As a result, I was less likely to get caught up in worry about my upcoming exams.

What makes knitting such a great exam-time hobby?

Knitting fits perfectly into short revision breaks

While many hobbies involve a commitment of several hours at a time, knitting is easy to pick up and put down in very small increments of time.  This makes it perfect to fit into short revision breaks, when we might otherwise be tempted to pick up our phones and scroll.  However unlike mobile phones, knitting doesn’t open up the possibility of seeing how much revision everyone else is doing, or all the fun our friends are having while we are cooped up revising. 

Social media apps are designed to keep us hooked on the platform and lose track of time. But knitting is made up of frequent milestones that can give us a sense of achievement as well as the punctuation we need to prompt us to return to our studies. We can decide to knit one row, or to the end of a stripe before getting back to the books.

Knitting creates calm

Research tells us that knitters report feeling calmer and less anxious. We know that rhythmical repetitive movements can help to activate our autonomic nervous systems which helps us to feel calmer.  In addition, research has found that knitting can reduce anxious thoughts which is a particularly helpful quality when we are preparing for exams.  We know that bringing our attention to the present moment is an effective protection from being overwhelmed with anxious thoughts.  This is particularly important when we are anticipating important exams. Getting overwhelmed with worry can paralyse us and prevent us from being able to prepare or perform to the best of our ability.

Knitting gives us a sense of achievement 

When we are preparing for important exams, it can feel like they are all that matters.  Having a simple knitting project to work on alongside our exam preparation can give us a sense of achievement completely unrelated to our academic performance. This reminds us that there is a life outside of the exams.   If we are having a bad day of revision, or an exam goes badly, doing a few rows of knitting can give us the opportunity to remind ourselves of something that we are successful at.

Knitting can support attention and focus

Whilst knitting can help us cope with the stress around exams, it can also help us study better. Knitting can support studying in a range of ways, such as priming our attention, and activating the default mode network, which is important for consolidation of learning. There have been some fascinating research studies showing how 15-20 minute bursts of knitting or crochet can improve attention. You can find out more about how knitting can support attention and focus here. For a deep dive into this check out our webinar Knitting for Attention & Focus.

What if I am not a knitter?

If you aren’t a knitter and don’t think this is the right time to start, then don’t worry! Think about what activities you have enjoyed in the past. Is there something you did as a younger child that you could pick up again?  The key features are simple. Choose something accessible, easy to pause, and absorbing enough to hold your attention.  If it can also give you a sense of achievement, then that’s even better. This could be colouring, baking, cross-stitch or even playing a musical instrument.

Hobbies can help you survive exam season

Hobbies such as knitting can support you in numerous ways during exam season. Having dedicated time to rest is more important than ever during exam time.  This prevents burnout and anxiety overwhelm, but also supports your brain to focus and consolidate your learning.  So the next time you have an exam to prepare for, don’t forget to have your knitting needles nearby!

The post Knitting for exam stress: surviving exam season one stitch at a time appeared first on Creative Restoration.

Many people with ADHD describe living with a restless, fast-moving mind – alongside a deep capacity for creativity, focus, and connection when the conditions are right. Knitting often becomes part of that story, not as a cure or strategy to “fix” attention, but as a way of working with how an ADHD brain functions.

On the Why I Knit podcast, we’ve spoken with knitters, designers, researchers, and creatives who reflect on their experiences of ADHD. This include stories exploring neurodivergence in adulthood, and how knitting supports focus, regulation, creativity, and self-understanding. This collection brings together episodes that explore knitting and ADHD through lived experience, curiosity, and care.

This collection may be especially helpful if you:

• identify as ADHD or neurodivergent
• were diagnosed in adulthood or later life
• experience racing thoughts, restlessness, or burnout
• are curious about how knitting supports focus and regulation
• want to hear real stories rather than advice or productivity hacks

Podcast conversations exploring knitting and ADHD

ADHD, dopamine and flow with Theodora Burrow

Theodora Burrows – S9 E3 (released 22/1/25)

Theo is a knitwear designer who speaks about being diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 50 and her experience of how this interacts with menopause. Theo reflects on how knitting allows her to experience both soothing and creativity, and how she has found knitting to be a more accessible form of meditation.

Neurodivergence and knitting with Una

Una – S8 E8 (released 24/7/25)

Una speaks about how knitting has helped her as a neurodivergent person. She describes how knitting allowed her to sit for long periods at university and supported her recovery from burnout. She describes learning more about what her brain needs and finding moments of focus through knitting.

Knitting for connection and community with Kristina LaVenia

Kristina LaVenia – S7 E8 (released 24/10/24)

Kristina is an academic with a diagnosis of ADHD who reflects on how others have responded to her knitting during meetings, opening up conversations about visibility, difference, and workplace norms.

Feeding a part of my brain that needs to be fed with Ellen Coy

Ellen Coy – S6 E5 (released 1/2/24)

Ellen is a tech editor and designer who identifies as neurodivergent. She speaks about how knitting allows her to “feed a part of her brain that needs to be fed,” offering a powerful metaphor for regulation and creativity.

Knitting to connect mind and body with Madison Siegel

Madison Siegel – S6 E4 (released 25/1/24)

Madison describes using knitting as a tool for mindfulness, and how it helps her to manage the racing thoughts that accompany her ADHD. She speaks about learning to sit with thoughts and observe them, rather than becoming hooked into them.

Reconstructing yourself through craft with Susie Bass

Susie Bass – S6 E3 (released 18/1/24)

Susie is a researcher completing a PhD in mental health and craft. She reflects on receiving diagnoses of ADHD and Autism in adulthood, and on how craft has helped her to process trauma and reconstruct her sense of self.

Loose Ends with Masey Kaplan and Jen Simonic

Loose Ends – S6 E1 (released 4/1/24)

Jen Simonic and Masey Kaplan are the founders of Loose Ends, an organisation that helps grieving families find craftspeople to finish projects left by loved ones. Jen reflects on learning as a child that knitting helped her to focus at school, long before receiving an ADHD diagnosis.

Knitting for confidence and self-compassion with Jessica Hendrickson

Jessica Hendrickson – S5 E5 (released 13/7/23)

Jessica speaks about her diagnosis of ADHD and how knitting helps her to focus in an office environment. She also reflects on novelty-seeking as a strength in her role as Design Director at Lion Brand Yarn.

A happy dance with my hands with Lisa Silver

Lisa Silver – S4 E4 (released 12/1/23)

Lisa describes knitting as “a happy dance with your hands,” and speaks about using it to find peace and focus alongside her ADHD.

Listening alongside reading and learning

If you enjoy listening alongside reading, you might also like our collection of blog posts about knitting and attention This explores similar themes through research, reflection, and creative practice.

You might also be interested in our webinar on Knitting for Attention and Focus, exploring how knitting can support attention, including the benefits and challenges of knitting as an ADHDer.

Sign up to our newsletter here to receive future content about knitting, ADHD, and wellbeing.

The post Podcast episodes about knitting and ADHD appeared first on Creative Restoration.

At Creative Restoration, we’re interested in how knitting can support attention in the midst of our everyday lives. As psychologists we often see the links between attention and wellbeing. For example struggling with regulating your attention can mean overthinking, feeling overwhelmed and emotional or cognitive exhaustion. This collection brings together reflections, research-informed posts, and creative practice exploring the relationship between knitting and attention.

(If you prefer listening, we’ve also curated podcast episodes exploring knitting and ADHD.)

This collection may be especially helpful if you:

• find it hard to concentrate or stay with one thing
• notice your mind racing or looping
• feel pulled towards scrolling but want something more nourishing
• are curious about how knitting supports attention, focus, or flow

Reflections on knitting and attention

Swap mindless scrolling for mindful knitting

A reflection on why knitting can be a more regulating alternative to endless scrolling, offering gentle sensory input, rhythm, and presence without overstimulation.

Tired of overthinking? Pick up your knitting needles!

Explores how knitting can interrupt cycles of rumination by helping you calm your thoughts, ground yourself, and find focus again

5 reasons knitting is the perfect attention hook

Looks at what makes knitting so effective at holding attention and offers takeaway tips to help you make the most of knitting’s attention-hooking properties.

How knitting enhances attention and focus

A deeper dive into the mechanisms through which knitting supports sustained attention, drawing on psychological concepts and everyday experience.

You might also be interested in…

Journal Club: Crochet improves attention

A Why I Knit podcast episode where we discuss an experimental study published in Scientific Reports (part of the prestigious Nature group of peer-reviewed scientific journals) about how crochet may improve attention (Sebastiano et al, 2025). This is a fascinating brain-imaging study by neurologists into how crochet impacts on attentional networks. 

Flow and rest in Unfolding Parallel Landscapes: Sketchbook Circle Series, Part 6

A reflective piece exploring how attention, flow, and rest intersect within creative practice. It describes a project of Paula’s for her sketchbook circle series, and how these themes emerged in the conception and creation of the project.

Choosing where to begin

You don’t need to read everything here. You might choose one post that feels relevant right now – perhaps something practical, reflective, or research-based and start there.

If you’d like to receive future reflections on knitting, attention, and creative wellbeing, you can sign up to our newsletter here.

If you want to learn more about this topic check out our webinar on Knitting for Attention & Focus.

The post Blogs about knitting and attention appeared first on Creative Restoration.

Too often, we reflect on how much time we spend scrolling and are left feeling frustrated or guilty afterwards. There are now many apps and gadgets designed to limit phone use. However, our urge to reach for our phones can be so strong that we override these barriers and end up scrolling anyway. The problem with blocking access is that it does not address why we are reaching for the phone in the first place.

As a psychologist, I know that understanding the reason behind a behaviour makes change far more likely. Below are some of the most common reasons we scroll, and why swapping  mindless scrolling for a mindful activity like knitting can be such an effective alternative.

We scroll for a dopamine boost

Many of us reach for our phones because we want a quick lift in mood. Scrolling might make us laugh, feel connected, or experience a brief sense of pleasure. This happens because novelty and reward trigger dopamine.

Knitting can meet this same need. I once ran an Instagram poll asking knitters when they felt the biggest dopamine boost during a project. The answers varied widely. Some loved planning and choosing yarn, others enjoyed casting on, and many described the joy of trying on a finished garment.

What stood out was that knitting offers frequent, small rewards. Each row, section, or milestone provides a sense of progress. This steady flow of achievement makes it easier to swap scrolling for knitting without feeling deprived.

We scroll to fill small pockets of time

Phones are often used in short gaps between tasks. Waiting rooms are a good example. If you look around, most people are scrolling while they wait for their appointment.

Knitting works beautifully in these moments. A small project, such as a sock or simple square, can fit easily into a bag. Whether you have five minutes or fifteen, you can make visible progress and this ‘dead time’ doesn’t feel wasted.

There is also an emotional benefit. Knitting is linked with increased calm and helps bring attention into the hands. If you are feeling nervous, for example while waiting for an appointment, knitting can help you pass the time in a more grounded and mindful way.

We scroll because we feel bored

Boredom often appears when the task we are doing only uses part of our attention. Watching television, listening to a meeting, or sitting with family can leave spare mental capacity which makes us tempted to reach for our phones.

The issue with picking up a phone is that it demands more attention than we have available. Instead of filling a small gap, scrolling pulls focus away from what we are meant to be doing.

A simple knitting project is different. Once the basics are learned, knitting is repetitive and uses muscle memory. It keeps the hands busy while allowing the mind to stay present. This is why many people find that knitting helps them concentrate during passive listening tasks, such as attending a meeting or listening to a lecture.

We scroll when we feel restless

Restlessness is slightly different from boredom. While boredom is mental, restlessness is a physical feeling. Many of us feel the urge to move, fidget, or keep our hands occupied.

Phones provide this movement, which is why they can feel soothing. As adults, though, we may feel awkward using obvious fidget tools and instead default to our phones because they seem more socially acceptable.

Knitting offers a helpful alternative. It gives restless hands something to do without the guilt that often comes with scrolling. For many knitters, picking up the needles feels both calming and acceptable in social settings.

We scroll for emotional regulation

Phones are frequently used to escape difficult emotions. Scrolling distracts us and gives temporary relief, but the feelings often return as soon as we stop. In some cases, scrolling can even increase anxiety, depending on what we see online.

In contrast, research demonstrates that knitting is associated with an increased feeling of calm and a reduction in stress.*   When we pick up a simple knitting project our hands are busy but we are still able to process our emotions.  Many knitters on the Why I Knit podcast have described feeling more able to sit with difficult feelings while the rhythmic movement of knitting provides comfort.

In this way, swapping scrolling for knitting is not about avoidance. It is about choosing a tool that supports emotional wellbeing rather than undermining it.

If you are trying to change your phone habits, and stop the mindless scrolling, knitting offers a mindful alternative.  It meets many of the same needs as scrolling, but leaves you feeling calmer, more present, and more satisfied at the end. So our invitation to you is that whenever you can, swap scrolling for knitting!

The post Swap mindless scrolling for mindful knitting appeared first on Creative Restoration.