This Engineer From Karnataka Took Up Knitting As A Hobby To Overcome Anxiety; Now It's His Side Business!

Remember those ‘dadi waala sweaters’ from childhood? Well, knitted sweaters remind almost all of us about our grandmas, who would sit in a slanting chair under the sun, and spend their time knitting cute little sweaters for us.

Surely, knitting has always been associated with grandmothers or women in general. It has always been a stereotype that knitting is for women, while men are meant for work that is so-called ‘harder’ or physical.

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However, in our world, we are witnessing people breaking stereotypes regularly and coming out with alternative examples. A 28-year-old engineer from Karnataka is the latest on the list who has taken up knitting to overcome stress and anxiety.

As a result, Sohail Naragund’s story has won the hearts of netizens all over and prompted them to order sweaters knitted by him. How did it all happen? Let’s find out.

Took Knitting As A Means To Overcome Stress

The pandemic period took a toll upon all of us, either physically or mentally. We all had our fair share of difficulties coping with the changing environment around us. Seeking refuge from the stress, many of us took to certain tasks and hobbies in order to keep ourselves engaged.

“I started knitting in April 2021 to heal my anxiety, and I had read somewhere that knitting helps you reduce anxiety." 

Sohail followed the same route but was also crossing boundaries in a unique way. Breaking a common gender stereotype, he took to knitting as a means to overcome stress and other mental health issues. He started by watching tutorials on YouTube, like so many of us during the pandemic, and invested a bit of his free time regularly in learning how to knit.

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Started As A Simple Hobby, Now A Side Hustle

Though he began his art of knitting by giving his sister a self-knitted sweater, his skills immediately gained popularity among his sister’s friends and they started demanding a few pieces of his work.

He realized he could do more, and with the help of his family, began a startup where he took orders and delivered knitted pieces.

"I engage in this hobby every day for at least three hours as it really helps me to stay calm."

With the support of his entire family, he now has a side hustle - his own knitting business!

His father and his sister help him manage and deliver orders in time. He has the support of his entire family. Unfortunately, Sohail lost his mother a few years back, so the only regret he carries is that he didn't learn knitting from his mother. 

Sohail’s Message For Everyone

Sohail shared an inspiring message for all of us who feel impressed by his story.

"I knit in my free time, and I work as a full-time engineer in Bangalore. I want to show that no hobby is gender-biased. People are. Knitting is not for only women. Men can take it up too. Good Things happen, and we have to continue what we are doing. I can conclude by saying, “the flower does not wait for the bees, the flower blooms, and the bees come.” 

Men like Sohail are an inspiration for today’s youth to tackle and break gender stereotypes that have polluted society for centuries and move forward towards establishing a better environment for the upcoming generations.

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