Next time you find yourself stressed out, you might want to try knitting.

Wellness and knitting may seem disconnected, but Ms. Tamasine Ellis, Upper School history teacher, knew that the practice has mental benefits.

“In the last few years I read a lot about how it’s a source of relief and meditation…,” Ms. Ellis said.

Ms. Ellis is not the only one to discover this. Many websites and news sources on mental health are trying to spread the word on the mental health benefits of knitting.

Students in her interim term class have taken note of the mental health benefits of knitting. 

Cacie Chatman, a senior, helped teach the class and explained how knitting has helped her mentally. 

“It’s a very good stress relief, especially if you’re doing a pattern that’s all the same,” Chatman said. 

Chatman was not the only one who noticed. Junior Charlie Solé also commented on the mental benefits of knitting. 

“It has definitely made me calmer, knitting is a very relaxing thing to do,” Solé said

According to Mental Health America, knitting has several mental health benefits, including making people feel calmer, alleviating chronic pain and helping establish a community. The article also said that giving back to the community through knitting, possibly in the form of donating a sweater or blanket, can relieve depression and loneliness. These are emotions many high school students are subjected to and need more accessible ways to relieve.

In Ellis’ class, there was a certain energy that is calm and laid back. From the start, students’ talking filled the classroom. There were conversations about the TV show “Gilmore Girls” and opinions on various cinema. Students were listening to music through headphones to accompany the sound of knitting needles clanking together as they knitted simple textiles. 

In addition to knitting being helpful for mental health, knitting in the classroom is especially beneficial. In an article from Interweave, knitting can be relieving during a long day of classes, especially when students have been sitting still for several hours.

Knitting 101 has been offered during Interim Term since 2003, Ms. Ellis said. 

“Now that I know how to knit and crochet, I can now make my own clothes,” Chatman said.