If you’ve paid any attention at all to the Olympics as a crafter then you’ve probably already seen that Tom Daley knits and crochets. We had reported on this back in May and again in June, in our roundup of craft news links. We loved seeing how he used the craft to cope with quarantine, give to good causes, and settle his own mind. But now that he’s actively knitting at the Olympic games, the news has spread all over. And it’s so fun to see how Tom Daley knits and crochets!
Note: All photos on this page come from the official Instagram called MadeWithLoveByTomDaley.
Tom Daley Crafting Through Quarantine
Back in May we briefly shared that “British Olympic diver Tom Daley brought knitting and crochet to pass the time during Olympic quarantine.” In June, we had some more information for you: “His husband had seen people doing the crafts to pass the time and suggested it to Daley who was on pause during the COVID break. He crafts everything from swim trunks to cat couches. He loves making things for his son. Recnetly, he designed his first pattern for sale. And “in more humanitarian endeavors, he made a blanket for a boy named Jake, who has a rare genetic mutation called PCH-pontocerebellar Hypoplasia causing shrinking of the brain.”
So many people began to knit and crochet during quarantine. First of all, people needed something creative and productive to do while at home. Or, if you were training for the Olympics, then during quarantine in hotel rooms. Additionally, the pandemic has increased everyone’s stress levels. Knitting and crochet offer therapeutic benefits to reduce anxiety. As we’ve seen recently with Simone Biles, Olympians are under even more stress than usual during a COVID year. So it makes a lot of sense that people like Tom Daley are using yarn crafts for daily stress relief.
In fact, Daley said on his Instagram, which has been quoted widely, that “The one thing that has kept me sane throughout this whole process is my love for knitting and crochet and all things stitching.” He’s also said it’s part of his mindfulness routine which also includes yoga and visualization. He’s even got The Telegraph talking about the benefits of knitting as therapy.
Tom Daley Knits Dog Jumpers
As aforementioned, Daley has been knitting and crocheting just about everything he comes across. For example, he made those cat couches that were trending. However, what’s really taken off in recent news is that Tom Daley knit dog jumpers. These are adorable little sleeveless sweaters for cute doggos of all kinds. In fact, Insta-famous dog Izzy the Frenchie is going to wear one of Tom Daley’s jumpers to fashion week, one he made during the games. Tom shared several photos of dogs wearing sweaters that he knit using a pattern from @knittingland.
Are you a dog lover? Make sure you meet all of the Marly Bird Team’s dogs as well as some other crafters pets.
Tom Daley Crochets Adorable Rainbow Textured Sweaters
Although everyone’s obsessed with how Tom Daley knits jumpers for dogs, it’s his crochet sweaters that are taking over Instagram. He has an Instagram account just for his knit and crochet work. Head there and you’ll see an awesome colorful striped sweater that he’s raffling off for a good cause (brain tumor research and prevention). You’ll see Tom himself in a colorful striped chevron crochet sweater. You’ll see a granny hearts rainbow sweater, pattern by sunflowerraes. Tom is always great about letting everyone on Instagram know if something is his original design. If not, he’s great about giving credit to the pattern designer.
Don’t Forget His Olympic Gold Medal Pouch
One of the first things that he got attention for during this Olmypic season was for knitting his own Gold medal pouch. It has his flag on one side and the Japanese flag on the other. He can take his Olympic gold medal in there to keep it safe and sound. How adorable and wonderful is this?
Other People Knitting at The Olympics
This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen knitting at The Olympic games. For example, in 2018, Bustle reported that Finnish Snowboarding Coach Antti Koskinen was spotted knitting during the snowboarding competition. It was a way for him to keep calm during this stressful time. Knitting grounds us, focuses us, gives our hands something to do. It’s all very therapeutic and meditative. People who have anxiety do well to reduce their stress through knitting and crochet. It’s surprising that more people aren’t doing this … and won’t be at all surprising if more people pick it up now.
Remember Ravelympics?
There’s some controversy about knitting and the Olympics, though. Remember when Ravelry used to host The Ravelympics? It was a knitting competition, a sort of knit-along during the games when people were encouraged to play “scarf hockey” or participate in a “knitting marathon.” So, what, you ask? We knit and crochet along to sports games all the time? Well, in 2012, the Olympics said heck no. They didn’t want knitters naming their “sport” after The Olympics. Therefore, they sent a Cease and Desist letter to Ravelry. They basically said it was “making a mockery of the Games with their needlework.” It was a whole ordeal. We wonder what The Olympics heads are thinking this year now that Tom Daley knits and crochets and it’s gone viral with tons of support!
Other Famous People Who Knit or Crochet
As we’ve mentioned in previous craft news posts, there are lots of celebrities who have taken to knitting and crochet recently. And many more who have been doing it for ages. A partial list that we know of includes:
- Amy Adams who learned to knit from Meryl Streep
- Michelle Obama who famously took up knitting during the pandemic
- Kamala Harris crochets. However, her daughter is a knitter.
- Demi Lovato, Ryan Goslin, and Julia Roberts are on a long list of knitters compiled by KnitCrate
- KnitPal also has a list of famous crocheters / knitters that includes crocheters Katy Perry, Bette Davis, and Aretha Franklin
- And Knitting Authority shares 100 celebrities who knit including TV stars Zooey Deschanel, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Tiffani Amber Thiessen.
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- Free Knit and Crochet Chunky Hat Patterns Inspired By Snowboarder Chloe Kim
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- Jamie Cox Knits for the Man In Your Life
Frequently Asked Questions
Wait, Tom Daley knits and crochets too?!
Yes! Honestly, it’s so cool to see Olympians using yarn crafts to de-stress. Tom Daley’s been knitting and crocheting for a while now, even using it as part of his mindfulness routine during the Olympics.
So he’s making cute dog sweaters?
He sure is! Tom’s been knitting these adorable little dog jumpers, and they’ve become super popular. He even shared photos of dogs rocking his creations, and one lucky Frenchie is set to wear one to fashion week!
What about his crochet work? Is it just dog sweaters?
Oh no, he’s crocheting some amazing things too! You should totally check out his Instagram… he’s got these awesome colorful striped sweaters, and a super fun granny hearts rainbow sweater. He’s really good about giving credit to pattern designers when he uses them.
Did he really make a pouch for his Olympic medal?
Yes! How cool is that?! He knitted his own Gold medal pouch with the flags of his country and Japan on it. It’s such a sweet way to keep his medal safe.
Has knitting shown up at the Olympics before this?
Yes! It’s not the first time yarn crafts have been seen at the Games. Back in 2018, a Finnish coach was spotted knitting to stay calm during a competition. It just goes to show how therapeutic and grounding these crafts can be!
