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Olympian Tom Daley is the most decorated diver in British history. He is also an avid knitter.
At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Daley added a fifth medal to his collection, and he also caught the world’s attention by knitting a bright blue ‘Paris 24’ jersey during his journey to the Games and in the stands.
During the Tokyo Olympics, where Daley was first spotted knitting, he explained that knitting has a positive effect on his mental health.
“It became my mindfulness, my meditation, my peace and my way of escaping from the stresses of everyday life and, in particular, going to the Olympics.”
The mental health benefits of knitting are well known. So why is it so surprising that someone as famous as Daley would knit in public?
Knitting is gendered
Knitting is typically associated with women — especially older women — as a hobby done at home. In a large international survey of knitting, 99 percent of respondents identified as women.
But the history of yarn art and gender is more complicated.
In Europe in the Middle Ages, knitting guilds were exclusive and reserved for men. They were part of a respected European trade that catered to a demand for knitted products that could not be satisfied by domestic workers alone.
The industrial revolution made the production of clothing cheaper and faster than hand knitting. Knitting and other needlework became a leisure activity for women, done in the private sphere of the home.
The First and Second World Wars brought knitting back into prominence as a ‘patriotic duty’, but it was still primarily a women’s pursuit.
During the day lockdowns, knitting saw a new revival.
But knitting still makes headlines most often when men do it, especially famous men like Daley or actor Ryan Gosling.
Men who knit are often seen as a way to break the stereotype that knitting is only for older women.
Knitting the stress away
Knitting can bring a sense of pride and accomplishment. But for an elite athlete like Daley — whose achievements include four gold medals and one silver — the benefits lie elsewhere.
In Olympic-level sports, perfect scores and world records are essential.
When it comes to knitting, most of the mental health benefits are related to the knitting process, rather than the end result.
Daley says knitting is the “one thing” that allows him to completely relax. He describes it as “my therapy.”
The Olympian says he could “seriously knit for hours.”
“There’s something so satisfying for me about just having that rhythm and that little ‘click-clack’ of the knitting needles. There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not knitting.”
Knitting can create a state of ‘flow’ through rhythmic, repetitive movements of yarn and needle. Flow offers us a balance of challenge, accessibility and a sense of control.
It has been shown to have benefits in relieving stress in high-stress jobs outside of elite sport. In surgeons, knitting has been shown to improve well-being and manual dexterity, which is crucial to their role.
For other health care professionals — including oncology nurses and psychiatric workers — knitting has helped reduce “compassion fatigue” and burnout. Participants described the soothing sound of their knitting needles.
They developed and strengthened team bonds through knitting together.
Another study found that knitting in elementary school can improve children’s executive function, which includes the ability to pay attention, remember relevant details, and block out distractions.
As a regular creative practice it has also been used in the treatment of grief, depression and suppressing intrusive thoughts, as well as in counteracting and cognitive decline.
Knitting is a community
The evidence for the benefits of knitting is often based on self-report. These studies usually produce consistent results and include large population samples.
This may point to another benefit of knitting: the social aspect.
Knitting and other yarn crafts can be done alone and usually require simple materials. But they also provide an opportunity to socialize by bringing people together around a common interest, which can help reduce loneliness.
The free craft database and social network Ravelry contains more than a million user-submitted patterns.
Yarn bombing projects aim to engage the community and beautify public places by covering objects such as benches and stop signs with wool.
The interest in Daley’s online knitting videos has created a community of its own.
In these videos he shows the process of making the sweater, not just the final product. That includes where he “” and had to cut back on his work.
His pride in the end product – a little wobbly, but “made with love” – can be a refreshing antidote to the .
Michelle O’Shea is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Business at Western Sydney University.
Gabrielle Weidemann is a senior lecturer in psychology at Western Sydney University.
