British Olympic diving champion Tom Daley is well known for his love of knitting and now he’s teaming up with Woolmark to take this to new heights. He’ll become Merino wool’s latest ambassador, “celebrating the process from farm-to-yarn”.

Daley previously founded Made With Love, a knitting and crocheting brand “with a mission to inspire the next generation of crafters”.

And in his ambassadorial role, he’ll launch a collection of Woolmark-certified knit kits, including Merino wool yarns and knitting patterns, via Made With Love, in 2025.

Daley first took up knitting as a way to take his mind off the stress of competing during the Tokyo Olympics and both he and The Woolmark Company are keen to stress the craft’s health benefits.

He said that knitting “is what grounds me, keeps me mindful and slows me down. Knitting with wool is the epitome of that; the soft texture and amazing natural properties allow it to temperature regulate, making it the perfect fibre for quality garments and homewares designed to last generations.”

And Woolmark cited a 2007 study conducted by Harvard Medical School’s Mind and Body Institute that found knitting lowers the heart rate, by an average of 11 beats per minute, and induces an “enhanced state of calm”. It also cited a study from the UK’s Cardiff University claiming “significant psychological and social benefits” for knitting.