Is knitter Stuart East Anglia's answer to Tom Daley?

Thanks to some rather starry A-list endorsement, they’re about the coolest crafts around.

Firstly, singer Harry Styles (in the vernacular) ‘broke the internet’ when he wore a distinctly homespun looking patchwork cardigan by the designer JW Anderson for an appearance on The Today Show.

Then, during the first lockdown, champion diver Tom Daley picked up his knitting needles and crochet hook and started showcasing his woolly makes on Instagram.

Fast forward to the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, where he was going for gold and Tom was pictured by the poolside knitting to relax while waiting for his turn on the board.

And what was he making? His very own Olympic cardigan, complete with the Team GB and five rings emblems emblazoned across the back and a pouch to keep his medals in.

Tom is just the latest in a long line of celebrities to join the ‘knitterati’ - other famous fans are said to include Meryl Streep, Ryan Gosling, Lorde and Kristen Stewart.

“You can’t even begin to think of the stress it would take Tom to compete at that level,” says Stuart Race, who owns The Woolpatch craft shop in Long Melford.

Stuart Race outside his yarn and fabric shop, The Woolpatch (Image: Contributed)

“But sitting there knitting just takes your mind off it.”

Stuart, who grew up in Long Stratton, picked up his knitting needles for the first time when he made a career change from teaching to opening a wool and fabric shop in 2016.

“I was head of drama at a secondary school in Ipswich and I was kind of in the crafting world,” he says. “I could crochet and we would put on plays and pantomimes at Christmas and it was always great fun making costumes. But I had no clue at knitting.”

Learning on the job about the different wool weights such as four ply and double knit, he decided to teach himself to knit and started off by making a beanie hat and a scarf.

“I got totally addicted,” he says. “After that I went straight into it and made a V-neck jumper. I knitted that traditionally, what they call flat knitting, where you do the front and the back and then you do the two sleeves.

“I was really pleased with how it turned out and what tends to happen with new knitters is that you get so excited about making your own garments, you start looking for patterns and then you realise that there’s a whole world of designers out there.

“I’m now knitting in the round, which is really popular at the moment, where you knit a jumper or cardigan by starting at the neck and then just keep knitting round and round and round and go down to the bottom.”

Knitting and crochet are inherently mindful pastimes.

As well as making sure you don’t drop any stitches, you have to follow a pattern and keep count of the number of rows you’re doing, so they demand your full attention, which is a great way of switching off from the stresses of the day.

So it’s no wonder that during the Covid lockdowns, Stuart saw more and more people taking up knitting and crochet.

“Especially in that first lockdown which was really strict and we only had our one-hour exercise,” he says.

"I remember when it first started and we were all quite addicted to that daily briefing when they first started - I had to make sure that I was watching the telly at five o clock to see what was going on.

“But I think that many of us soon realised that actually watching that briefing made us even more stressed and more nervous, so we stopped watching it and we needed to fill the time, and knitting did that.

"It stopped us thinking and stressing about what was happening because you’re concentrating in that moment and your brain just switches off.”

And he thinks that the crafts have undoubtedly been given another boost by Tom and Harry’s endorsement.

Stuart Race also sews and made this shirt (Image: Contributed)

“It was funny watching how the press took to Tom knitting by the poolside, because obviously ladies have always taken their knitting everywhere they go - they might sit on the bus and knit.

"But because it was a bloke, it was like no one's ever done that before, it was fascinating.

“But it did wonders for publicity for the world of knitting,” continues Stuart.

“People were coming into the shop wanting to knit that kind of stuff or asking for the same wools that he was using.

“And when people went wild for the Harry Styles cardigan, I made one for the shop.”

Knitting and crochet can be surprisingly sociable hobbies. The Woolpatch (it’s fitting that it’s in Long Melford, which is a wool town) holds daily sessions where people meet up for a cup of tea and a yarn and Stuart has also set up a YouTube channel where he posts videos about what he’s making.

“It just seemed a perfect thing to do, to have a place online where people can talk about their favourite yarns and what patterns are good and share things.

"We have gallery on our vlog where we just show people’s finished objects, like the old-school Tony Hart gallery from back in the day.”

As for what Stuart’s making, he’s just finished possibly his most ambitious knitting project to date.

“At the moment I’m just about to finish my first top down cardigan, where I steeked it,” he says. “Steeking is where you knit in a round and you’re making it like a jumper, but you have to cut up the front with scissors, so you then make it into a cardigan. Rather than having traditional buttons, I’ve sewn in a zip, and it’s my first attempt at colourwork as well.

“It’s difficult because you’re changing colours each round and picking a new yarn up, so you’ve got to be careful with your tension. I found that really difficult and I had to rip back a few times, but I finally got there.

“So I’ve got to decide what to cast on next and I think, because a jumper or a cardigan takes a long while, I might do a few more beanies. Put a nice pom-pom on the top – perfect for autumn and winter.

"And, of course, they’re quick – you can have a beanie done in a couple of evenings.”

And with autumn well and truly here, the making community is getting their craft on after a summer break.

“The shop is busier in the autumn and winter because we’re all finishing projects or starting new projects,” says Stuart.

“There’s something about that feel of an autumnal evening, a November evening when it’s cold and dark at five o’clock and you don’t do anything apart from sit in front of the telly or the fire and that’s where knitting is great.

"You’re all snug at home with candles on maybe, with big thick wooden needles knitting a beanie or blanket. Then you just need a glass of sherry – showing my age there.”

The Woolpatch is in Hall Street, Long Melford – or visit them online at thewoolpatch.com and see The Woolpatch channel on YouTube.

To see Tom Daley’s latest makes, follow @madewithlovebytomdaley on Instagram