How knitting and crochet kept Tom Daley sane on his gold medal journey + NEW Made With Love kits!

We know all too well how craft has the power to keep life on track when stress levels run high, but can it help you win an Olympic GOLD medal? Yes it can! We misted over with pride when our hero Tom Daley won gold with diving partner Matty Lee at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, and our hearts burst with happiness to see his wonderful Instagram post this morning showing off a signature Tom quick knit - an intarsia medal cosy with the Union Jack flag on one side, and the Japanese flag on the other!  Even more special for us here at LoveCrafts because it was made in Paintbox Yarns Simply Chunky yarn! 

We love how much knitting, crochet and stitching mean to Tom because we understand it - knowing that no matter what is going on in our lives, our crafting is only a thought away!  We identify completely with the speed of the idea to knit something for that medal, and the fact that it was knitted overnight!

Let’s look back to the start of Tom’s crafting journey!

Tom learned to knit way back in 2020, and his first instagram post shows him knitting a hat! Fast forward to the summer of 2021 and we find him with his own @madewithlovebytomdaley instagram account with a whopping 107k followers!

March 2020: "A few weeks ago I learned to knit 🧶 I thought it would be a great way to be present, mindful and also a form of meditation. 🧘‍♂️ This originally was to escape from the stresses of sport, but it has helped me escape some of the every day stresses that we face currently. 🦠 "

July 2021: "THANK YOU TO ALL MY FELLOW STITCHERS! 🧶 Learning to knit and crochet has helped me so much through these Olympics and we won GOLD yesterday 🥇 I made a little medal case too! 🇬🇧🇯🇵 YAY!"

Is there anything he can't do?!

Along with being a super fast crafter, and even faster learner of new techniques, Tom is no stranger to design either! Last year he designed and wrote this fabulous pattern for a granny square based sweater for kids - with all proceeds of the pattern sales going to the Brain Tumour Charity.

And it doesn't stop there...Tom has launched his own knitting and crochet kits!

Made with Love by Tom Daley, the celebrity collection you’ve all been waiting for is finally here! Our friend Tom Daley, Gold medalist, super crafter and national hero, has launched his very own line of kits, and they’re seriously cool.

• On-trend designs! The designs include sweater vests, a bubble cuddle cardi, a colourful flamingo and a hat and scarf perfect for beginners! 
• Everything you need. Each kit contains everything you need to make your knitted creation and every little detail has been carefully considered.
• Cuddles in a box! The designs use 100% merino wool, sourced from happy sheep, which, as Tom says, is “just so soft and squishy, like a warm cuddle.” 
• Planet-friendly. Everything in the box can be used again or recycled, even the instructions in the box are printed on a 10x10cm card, so you can use it to measure your tension square!
• Perfect for beginners & gifts! Designed for beginner knitters, the kits will help newbies learn new skills too, with helpful videos to explain new techniques along the way. 

Made with Love, from the heart.

Tom hopes the Made with Love kits will aid people’s mental wellbeing, giving people the chance to unwind and get rid of any stress or anxiety. And for Tom, the kits are just a start. “My next thing is to be the Minister of Knitting!” he jokes while talking about his dreams to bring knitting to the nation. “I’ll get knitting and crafts into schools as part of the curriculum, as I think it would be an amazing thing for kids to learn to unwind.”

Listen to Tom on The LoveCrafts Show!

We were ecstatic to have Tom join us on The LoveCrafts Show right at the beginning of his knitting and crochet journey - and we’re delighted to have Tom back to chat to us again for Season 2 of the show! You can listen to the show here on Spotify or your usual podcast platform!