Knitting for ADHD: Why It Can Be So Good for Your Brain

If you’ve got ADHD, you’ve probably discovered that having something to do with your hands can make a surprisingly big difference. That’s one reason knitting for ADHD can be such a brilliant combination. It gives your hands something to do, your brain something to focus on and, once you get into the rhythm of it, a repetitive activity that can feel incredibly calming.

No, knitting isn’t a treatment for ADHD. It isn’t going to magically make you organised, stop you losing your keys or suddenly turn you into someone who enjoys filling in forms. But for many people with ADHD, having something repetitive, tactile and interesting to do can make sitting still, concentrating or winding down feel much easier.

There is actually some research behind the benefits of knitting, too. A study published in the British Journal of Occupational Therapy found that people who knitted more frequently reported feeling calmer and happier. Knitting in groups was also associated with social and communication benefits. Read the British Journal of Occupational Therapy study

So why might knitting be particularly appealing to an ADHD brain?

It gives your hands something to do

One of the things I love about knitting for ADHD is that you don’t have to sit completely still. ADHD isn’t simply about struggling to concentrate. It can also involve restlessness and difficulty sitting still, and the NHS includes restlessness among the symptoms that can affect adults with ADHD. NHS information on ADHD in adults

Sometimes you don’t actually want to fidget. You just need to. Knitting gives that restless energy somewhere to go. Your fingers are moving, there’s something happening and you’re creating something at the same time.

It’s basically socially acceptable fidgeting – except at the end of it, you might have a scarf.

And honestly, I’ll take that.

Knitting can help you concentrate

This sounds slightly ridiculous when you know how easily an ADHD brain can lose its train of thought, but sometimes having something to do with your hands can make it easier to concentrate on something else.

Listening to an audiobook while knitting can be much easier than simply sitting and listening. The same goes for watching television. Without the knitting, you might find yourself reaching for your phone after ten minutes. With the knitting, your hands have something to focus on while your brain takes in what’s happening.

It’s not necessarily about making your brain concentrate harder. It’s about giving it another little stream of stimulation, and sometimes that’s exactly what an ADHD brain needs.

Of course, it won’t work for everyone. Some people will find that trying to knit while watching television means they miss half the programme and drop a stitch every five minutes. That’s ADHD for you. The point isn’t that knitting will improve everyone’s concentration, but that it can be a useful way of keeping your hands and brain engaged at the same time.

The repetitive movement can be incredibly calming

There is something very satisfying about the rhythm of knitting. Once you’ve learned what you’re doing, the movement can become almost automatic, and that predictability can be lovely when the rest of your brain feels like it’s running twelve different programmes at once.

Research into knitting has found an association between more frequent knitting and feelings of calm and happiness. It’s worth stressing that this wasn’t specifically an ADHD study and it doesn’t prove that knitting treats ADHD symptoms.

But if you pick up your needles and feel yourself slowing down a little, that’s still useful information. Sometimes we don’t need something to be a medical treatment for it to make our day better.

For some people, knitting can become a little ritual at the end of the day – something that marks the transition from doing everything to finally sitting down. And when your brain doesn’t naturally come with an off switch, having something repetitive to focus on can be rather lovely.

You get those little hits of achievement

ADHD and motivation can be a complicated combination. Starting something can feel impossible when the reward is somewhere in the distant future, particularly if the task is boring or there is no obvious payoff.

Knitting is different because you can actually see yourself getting somewhere. One row becomes two, two becomes ten and eventually that rather unimpressive-looking ball of wool becomes an actual thing. A scarf, a hat, a blanket or, if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, a jumper.

And you can look at it and think, I made that.

For an ADHD brain that can struggle with delayed rewards, having visible progress can make a project much more satisfying. You don’t necessarily have to wait until the finished product to feel that little buzz of achievement. Every row counts.

There is also something quite satisfying about being able to see the physical result of your time and attention. So much of what we do these days happens on a screen and disappears as quickly as it arrived. A knitted scarf is slightly harder to lose to the internet.

It can get you away from your phone

This might be one of my favourite benefits because ADHD and smartphones can be a slightly dangerous combination.

You pick up your phone to check one thing. Then another thing. Then somehow you’re watching somebody reorganise their kitchen cupboards on TikTok at 11.47pm.

Knitting gives you something else to reach for. It isn’t an endless stream of notifications, videos and new information. There is just the wool, the needles, the pattern and whatever you’re making.

In a world where we’re constantly being asked to pay attention to something, there is something rather lovely about doing one small thing slowly. You don’t have to be productive. You don’t have to learn anything. You don’t even have to finish what you’re making.

You can just knit.

It can help with that “I can’t just sit here” feeling

ADHD restlessness isn’t always obvious. You might not be bouncing off the walls. You might simply feel uncomfortable doing nothing.

Maybe you’re constantly fiddling with your clothes, picking at your nails, scrolling on your phone or getting up and wandering around the house. Knitting can provide some of that sensory input without being particularly disruptive.

Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can take it almost anywhere too. Waiting rooms, train journeys, watching television, sitting in the garden or waiting for the kids – knitting can give your hands something useful to do when your brain is telling you that sitting still is absolutely not happening.

Although perhaps leave the knitting needles at home if you’re heading somewhere with airport security.

Knitting can be surprisingly social

Knitting doesn’t have to mean sitting at home on your own. There are knitting groups, craft groups and “knit and natter” sessions all over the UK, and there’s something quite nice about having an activity happening alongside the conversation.

You’re not expected to make eye contact constantly and you’re not solely responsible for keeping the conversation going. You can sit alongside other people and do your own thing while still being part of the group.

The research into knitting has also found associations between group knitting and improved social contact and communication. British Journal of Occupational Therapy research

For an ADHD brain that sometimes finds social situations exhausting, having something else happening alongside the conversation can make things feel much more natural. And if you’re anything like me, having something to do with your hands can make those slightly awkward “what am I supposed to do with myself?” moments considerably easier.

But what if my ADHD makes me abandon my knitting?

Welcome to ADHD.

You may buy the wool. You may buy the needles. You may spend three hours researching the perfect beginner pattern. You may become completely convinced you’re going to knit everyone’s Christmas presents.

And then… nothing.

The wool sits in a bag. For six months. Possibly three years.

And that’s OK.

You don’t have to turn knitting into another thing you’re supposed to be good at. Choose something simple. Don’t start with an enormous complicated jumper because you’ve watched one particularly persuasive knitting tutorial and suddenly believe you’re the next great British knitwear designer.

Pick a colour you love. Make something small. Make mistakes. Put it down. Come back to it.

There are no knitting police.

So, is knitting good for ADHD?

For many people, knitting can be a really enjoyable ADHD-friendly hobby. It gives you movement, sensory stimulation, repetition, creativity and a visible sense of progress. It may help some people feel calmer, stay engaged with another activity or simply make sitting still a little easier.

But it isn’t an ADHD treatment, and what works brilliantly for one ADHD brain might drive another completely mad. That’s the thing about ADHD – there isn’t one magic solution.

Sometimes we just have to find the little things that make our particular brains work with us rather than against us.

And if one of those things happens to involve a ball of wool and two needles?

Even better.

Now, where did I put that cardigan I started three years ago?

Frequently asked questions

Is knitting good for people with ADHD?

Knitting can be a useful and enjoyable hobby for some people with ADHD. Its repetitive movement can provide sensory stimulation, while the activity itself gives the hands something to do and provides visible progress.

Can knitting help with ADHD focus?

Some people find that knitting helps them stay engaged while watching television, listening to podcasts or audiobooks, or sitting through activities where they would otherwise become restless. However, knitting isn’t a treatment for ADHD.

What are good hobbies for adults with ADHD?

There isn’t one perfect hobby for ADHD. Activities involving movement, creativity, novelty, sensory input or visible progress can be particularly appealing to some people. Knitting, crochet, drawing, gardening, cooking and exercise are all possibilities.

Is knitting good for ADHD anxiety?

Knitting isn’t a treatment for anxiety, but the repetitive nature of the activity may feel calming for some people. Research has found associations between knitting and positive wellbeing outcomes, although more research is needed.

Do you have to be good at knitting for it to help?

Absolutely not. In fact, I’d argue that being slightly rubbish at it is probably part of the fun.

You don’t need to produce a perfect jumper. If picking up some wool and needles makes your brain feel a little happier, that’s enough.