The Olympics gave us much to enjoy, from Team GB's incredible efforts that saw them collectively amass an amazing 65 medals tofemale athletes showing the world what strength really looks like. And there was also Tom Daley's knitting, which he did poolside when he wasn't winning a gold medal.
Fans were surprised and delighted to see the athlete showing off his crafting skills, which he put to good use and created his own Olympic cardigan, emblazoned with the Team GB logo and Tokyo in Japanese. But in case you didn't know, Daley has been knitting for a while now and has become so proficient, he has his very own Instagram profile dedicated to his creations.
Not only can this man dive, he's a knitting machine. He's made jumpers for his husband, jumpers for his friends' dogs, jumpers for himself and jumpers to auction off for charity. He's knitted unicorns, he's crocheted and he's even designed his own knitting pattern which is available to download, with all proceeds going to The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of Daley's father, who died in 2011.
The real question, then, is this: when can we all buy a Tom Daley original? It's time to give the people what they want, Tom! Gold medals are all well and good but can we wear them? Plus, Daley's tapping into one of fashion biggest trends at the moment.
Fashion is preoccupied with all things crafty, with designers focussing on handcrafted details, woven accessories and raffia bags galore (Prada's has been the bag of the summer so far). Crochet, in particular, has become a major hitthanks to a wealth of brands (Valentino, Chanel, Dior, Gabriela Hearst) including crocheted pieces in their spring/summer collections. What started as an activity to pass the time during lockdown is now a bonafide fashion trend.
Of course, many are still making their own crocheted clothes. It's a trend that went viral on TikTok, largely thanks to Harry Styles fans making their own versions of the singer's JW Anderson cardigan. Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris' stepdaughter, even bagged a collaboration with Batsheva after showing off her crochet skills on Instagram.
Now, it seems Daley has inspired some clothing brands to launch their own Olympic knits to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity. Notjust Clothing has teamed up with Depop Drama to produce a Team GB knitted vest, with 100% of profits going to the charity. Made from 90% recycled yarn, the knit is only available today for a limited time, so you'll want to be quick.
Failing that, perhaps Tom will release his own knitting pattern so that we can all make Olympic fever last a bit longer?
BUY: Team GB Knitted Vest
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