Knitting and crochet for health: myth or reality?

Knitting and crochet as a tool for wellness doesn’t really come as a surprise to those of us who wield pointy sticks or a hook.  However, it’s easy to see why the non-knitters and crocheters are sceptical about it.  However Betsan Corkhill, formerly an occupational therapist and non-knitter, noticed how knitting in particularly helped her patients.  Fascinated by her own observations and anecdotal evidence she became inspired to find the science behind this phenomenon, believing the impact of knitting should not be taken lightly.

 

I first came across Betsan’s work through reading by Kathryn Vercillo’s book ‘Crochet Saved My Life’.  Personally I have my own battle with anxiety and depression, so it was through self interest I downloaded this interesting and deeply personal exploration of the relationship between needlecrafts and recovery from mental illness. 

Kathryn refers many times to Betsan’s research, particularly in relation to Betsan’s organisation Stitchlinks.  After a quick look through www.stitchlinks.org I became intrigued with the concept of crafting not just for specific health issues but for more general health and wellness.  When I found that Betsan was leading a ‘Theraputic Knitting’ course locally it made sense to sign up and find out more.

 

On the day of the course I was astonished by the science we were quickly presented with behind why knitting, or crochet, works as a tool for wellness.  My employment background is in education and I have some training in counselling so it really shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to me, perhaps especially with the current focus on mindfulness in mental health circles.  But it did.  Betsan presented satisfyingly detailed information about how our brains work, both biologically and chemically and how the chemistry of stress causes so much damage to our minds and bodies.  But here was the revelation to me: there are so very many aspects of knitting and crochet that complement our own inbuilt wellness systems.  And not just the physical process of knitting but also the accompanying processes of learning, being challenged and being part of a social group to name a few.  The revelation that people living with chronic illness and pain have successfully integrated knitting and crochet into the management of their conditions truly shocked me.  How could something as simple as stitching make such a massive impact to a person’s life?  We were introduced to research that agreed again and again it did.  The ‘Pitching for Stitching’ campaign by the Neuro Orthopaedic Institute, Australasia was particularly compelling.  I have observed, first-hand the benefits crochet has for my own mental health so this element wasn’t a surprise to me, but it was very interesting to find out how it works, why it helps me to cope.

I bought a copy of ‘Knit for Health & Wellness: How to knit a flexible mind and more...’ and Bethan kindly signed it for me.  It’s extremely useful for reminding me how much benefits I gain from knitting and crochet and provides practical advice on how to get the maximum benefits.  For example having a few different projects on the go is actually a good thing, it gives you a choice of activities for what you need most right at that moment, from a straightforward project requiring little focus on a pattern to allow more focus on the calming, rhythmic and meditative nature of the process, to a more challenging project which develops our skills, therefore building new neurological pathways in our brains, keeping us interested and involved in life.

 

If you already knit or crochet then Betsan’s work shows you how to get the best results for maintaining your own health and wellness.  For those who don’t then it’s an appealing argument for why you might want to take up the hobby.

Useful links:
www.crochetconcupiscence.com is Kathryn Vercillo's blog and an informative and fun place for all things to do with crochet and wellness.

www.stitchlinks.com is an ever evolving hub where newest research findings can be found, forums for support and encouragement and many other resources to both fuel your own wellness journey as well inspire other people’s.

Betsan’s personal blog: www.betsan.org/blog is another place to find encouragement and information.