Podcast episodes about knitting, low mood and depression

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:

Knitting for depression and low mood – a bonus relisten – Why I Knit

This week Dr Paula Redmond joins me to discuss how knitting can help with depression and low mood. We've chosen three episodes of the podcast in which my guests have discussed using knitting as a strategy to help with low mood, and we discuss our reflections and themes from these conversations.The episodes we listened to were:Series 4 episode 1 with Ellen of Sew and InspireSeries 1 episode 3 with James McIntoshSeries 5 episode 6 with Kathryn Vercillo————-🧶 We are hosting a LIVE version of our webinar The Healing Power of Knitting on 14th July at 7pm BST followed by a Q&A🧶 If you'd like to learn more about how to use knitting for your self-care, check out our course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time.🧶Catch up on our on-demand webinars: The Healing Power of Knitting where we take a deep dive into the mental health benefits of knittingUnravelling Burnout where we look at how we can use knitting as a tool to prevent burnoutKnitting for Attention and Focus. We explore how knitting and crochet can support concentration, attention and mindful awareness, particularly for people who struggle with restlessness, distractibility or overwhelm.Here's how to stay in touch:💌 Sign up to the Creative Restoration newsletter📲 Follow us on Instagram at @knittingistherapeutic and @drpaularedmondMentioned in this episode:How to support the podcastThank you so much for listening. If you value the podcast and would like to support it, here's how: 1. Sign up to our monthly newsletter here: https://creativerestoration.org/newsletter/ 2. If you've enjoyed the podcast please leave us a rating and a review to help others hear about it. 3. Please consider sharing the podcast on social media or send it to a friend who might enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support, we really appreciate it.How to support the podcastThank you so much for listening. If you value the podcast and would like to support it, here's how: 1. Sign up to our monthly newsletter here: https://creativerestoration.org/newsletter/ 2. If you've enjoyed the podcast please leave us a rating and a review to help others hear about it. 3. Please consider sharing the podcast on social media or send it to a friend who might enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support, we really appreciate it.Join us to learn more about the mental health benefits of knitting!`We are running our popular webinar The Healing Power of Knitting on Tuesday 14th July 2026 at 7pm BST and we'd love you to join us. Click the link below to find out more: https://creativerestoration.podia.com/the-healing-power-of-knitting-live-webinar-july-2026

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.

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