Knitting and mental health: it's complicated!

Is knitting good for your mental health if it sometimes makes you feel...bad? In this episode, Anjali and Alison talk about the mental health benefits of knitting, but also some of the darker aspects that aren't often talked about: compulsive yarn buying, procraftination, toxic productivity culture, and more.

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Our new theme song is "Candy Apple Red" by Annabelle Chairlegs!

Further Reading & Listening on the Benefits

• More on soldiers knitting to heal from trauma in Knit, Purl, Heal — Piecework Magazine
• Therapeutic Knitting with Betsan Corkhill — Why I Knit podcast
• Stitching Time: Women and Fiber Art in Psychiatric History — Psychiatric Times
• Why knitting can help you feel less anxious — Dr. Mia Hobbs
• Crochet increases attention through requiring motor skill learning — Nature

Further Reading on the Complexities

• We couldn't find the original article we read about procrastination, but here's more on the "Wall of Awful"
• Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
• Becoming "That Girl": A Digital Ethnography of Productivity and Wellness Culture on YouTube — Kate Norton
• Excessive Knitting and Addiction — Psychology Today
• Knitting, creativity, mental health — Kate Davies

Other Mentions

• Project Knitwell
• Lou Dangit on Instagram

Knitty Things

• Lumme Pullover in Studio Donegal Soft Donegal
• Corran Cardigan by Rebecca Clow in De Rerum Natura Robinson in Citronnade