Crocheter promotes mental health to growing audience

Michael Sellick has built an online community by sharing his passion for crochet.

Now the founder of the Crochet Crowd says he's going a step further with Everyday Stitch, a new website set to launch later this year dedicated to the therapeutic benefits of crochet for those struggling with mental health challenges.

Working from the home near Wolfville, N.S., he shares with his partner, Daniel Zondervan, Sellick has amassed a global following of 1.3 million online.

Sellick's journey into crochet began when he was feeling lonely and went on YouTube to share his crochet skills.

To his surprise, it soon turned into a global movement.

Sellick's approach is deeply personal. He initially struggled to be himself on camera, but then embraced authenticity.

He says his openness has created a welcoming space where people feel safe to express themselves.

Beyond the digital world, Sellick fosters connections through Wednesday night Stitch Nights at a local craft store, where crocheters of all skill levels gather to socialize, share tips, and stitch together.

Genevieve Bondy, a regular at the weekly gatherings, moved to the area from Ottawa with her husband.

She credits the group with helping her adjust to life after moving back to Nova Scotia. "We've met a lot of new people at the stitch group," she says. "It's been a great way to integrate."

Sellick keeps the gatherings adults-only, allowing for unfiltered conversation and humour.

Crochet has helped him with some of the traumas and issues he has had to deal with throughout his life, he says.

"My brain is a messy pile of a garbage dump," he says.

"It's a sense of meditation and coming down off stuff, but it's also a way to realize that your life might not be so bad if you can process it and stop panicking."

Sellick says the goal of Everyday Stitch, which is scheduled to open in December, is to reach people who may be in a dark place and provide a sense of community that can help them pull through it.

"It's that momentum of helping somebody paddle their boat until they get enough momentum to be able to do it themselves," he says.

"Some people take longer. The journey is really personal, so the space in which people learn or get through things is really their own story."

The site will encourage users to set personal goals, share their stories, and find solace in the rhythmic, repetitive nature of stitching.

Sellick says he has heard countless stories from followers who credit crochet with helping them through depression, grief, and even suicidal thoughts.

As he works on the launch of the new website, Sellick says he doesn't know what the future holds but he knows the community he has built will help him move forward.

"There's never a stopping point," he says, "You can keep crocheting until you're physically unable to. So your journey is never really, truly over until you think you're finished."

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to look for help: