When I first learned about knitting needles about two years ago, I could not have imagined how vital this hobby would become to my well-being. Learning to knit was difficult for me, but once I mastered it, the craft became addictive, in a good way: it calmed me down and …

The rise of sewing and knitting clubs, guerrilla knitting, yarn bombing and calls to knit sweaters for penguins affected by oil spills have all drawn attention to craftsmanship as a force of social change. Knitting is mobile, sociable, inexpensive and now good for our mental health. But knitting for a …