Happiful August 2019

and sadness, was too much. One
day I found two chopsticks in my
flat and some string, looked on
YouTube, and started to cast on,”
he says. “Before I knew it, I had
knitted ‘something or other’.
“I noticed that each stitch became
a breath, each breath a feeling, and
the stitch was a tangible sign that
my feelings were worth something,
that I was worth something.”
3 A SOCIAL ACTIVITY
Loneliness has huge implications
for our health, and social isolation
is growing in the UK, with 2.4
million adults feeling lonely,
according to the Office for National
Statistics. Joining a sewing group
– which you can often find on
Facebook – is a good way to meet
people.
Issy Woolford-Lim is an avid fan
of needlecraft. “I go to a weekly
group, which gives me social
contact and encourages me to get
out of the house, even when I’m
down,” she says. “We’re all very
positive and encouraging with each
other, which I love.”
“Try to find your local
haberdashery or fabric shop,” Aliss
says. “The sewing community is
incredibly friendly,
and they
should have some great advice to
get started – from sewing meetups,
to fabrics and patterns. They’ll
point you in the right direction.”
4 A CREATIVE SENSE OF
ACHIEVEMENT
Creating something with your
own hands provides a sense of
accomplishment that can boost
mental health. In studies of people
with depression and other chronic
illnesses, textile crafts were
found to increase self-esteem and
improve the sense of wellbeing.
James struggled to find
fashionable knitting patterns
for men, so he started creating
his own. “The first time I put
on something I had knitted, I
felt proud of myself again – an
intimate and personal feeling,”
he says. “I was knocked badly
by homophobia in my native
Northern Ireland, which triggered
the depressive episode, and a stitch
at a time helped me to realise that I
was worth something.”
5 FIXING HELPS TACKLE FAST
FASHION
Our clothes are fast, inexpensive,
and mass-produced, which
enforces cheap labour and
generates a huge amount
of pollution. Global textile
production creates 1.2 billion
tonnes of carbon emissions a
year, according to research by
the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
– more than international flights
and shipping. Repairing clothes
instead of throwing them away
can prevent fabric ending up as
landfill, and lets you know you’re
doing something positive to help
our planet.
August 2019 • happiful.com • 41