Fibre Crafts for Mental Health and Wellbeing

I'm going to be honest with you — I'm writing this from bed today.

My health has taken a significant knock recently. I have ME and FND, and a nasty virus has sent both into a crash that I'm still very much in the middle of. So this week's post is a little shorter than usual, and a little more personal.

But here's the thing — even from bed, I have my knitting. And that feels like exactly the right moment to talk about why crafting matters so much for our mental and physical wellbeing.

It gives you something to show for the day

Many of you will know that I've lived with ME for over 20 years. There have been periods — years, in fact — where I was bed bound and housebound, too poorly to leave the house or even my bed for a very long time. I still frequently use a wheelchair to this day and if not, you'll usually see me with a walking stick.

Even at my worst, I would try to knit a few rows. It kept me sane. Because at the end of the day, however hard it had been, there was something tangible to show for it. I had done something. I had made progress, even if it was only a centimetre of fabric. That feeling — of small but real accomplishment — is genuinely powerful when you're too poorly to get out of bed, and there are so few other things that can give you that.

In fact, that was why my mum taught me to knit in the first place. To help me when I first got poorly.

I know I would not be the person I am today without my crafting. It has quite literally carried me through.

It quietens the noise

When we work on our projects, there isn't really space in our brains to also be worrying about other things. You have to count stitches, follow a pattern, track where you are. You can concentrate on the feel of the yarn slipping through your fingers, the sound of the needles, the curve of the hook — and let it take up your whole existence for a little while.

You can't be consumed by your to-do list, or let worries enter your head, whilst you're concentrating on the flow of the fibres. As you become more experienced, the movements become muscle memory, and it becomes almost meditative — you can just breathe and be, rather than needing to think about everything else that's going on.

There is a simplicity and calmness in crafting that I find genuinely grounding. Half an hour with your knitting or crochet won't fix everything, but it will give you half an hour of peace. And sometimes that's exactly what you need.

The research backs it up

This isn't just my experience — there have been many studies showing that knitting, crochet and related crafts have a positive effect on stress, depression, anxiety and trauma. The repetitive movements, the focus required, the sense of accomplishment — all of these contribute to measurable improvements in wellbeing.

Fine motor skills, mental agility, problem solving, colour and texture — crafting keeps your brain active and engaged in a way that is both gentle and genuinely stimulating. I've always loved puzzles and brain teasers, and I find knitting and crochet give me a very similar kind of mental satisfaction.

If you're struggling

If you're feeling down or overwhelmed, picking up your knitting or crochet (or spinning or weaving etc) for even a short time is a really good way of grounding yourself. You don't have to do a lot. Even a few stitches counts.

If motivation is the problem rather than energy, have a gentle check in with yourself first — sometimes feeling unmotivated about things that usually bring you joy is a sign that something else is off. Have you had enough water today? A bit of fresh air? Enough sleep?

And if it's the project itself that's the problem — frog it! Your creative time is for you, and it should be making you happy. Put it down and start something that does.

If it's everything else in life that's overwhelming — set aside even just fifteen minutes, block it out as yours, and pick up something small with short milestones. You are allowed to breathe and to look after yourself. The world will continue turning without you pushing it.

First, water your camel

I came across this saying many years ago and it really resonated with me. It apparently stems from nomadic Arabic culture — travellers would always water their camels first after a long day, because without the camel, nothing else in their life could happen.

You are the most important thing in your life. Nothing else in your life happens without you making it happen. You are the camel in your life. So first, water your camel.

Pick up your needles. Pick up your hook. Cast on something new, or return to something familiar. Let yourself just breathe and exist for a little while.

I'll be doing the same from under my blanket today.

See you next week. xx