The surprising hobby loved by celebs including Julia Roberts and Lorraine Kelly

Celebrity hobbies are generally 'drinking cocktails by the pool', or 'hiking the trails of LA.' Maybe even 'hitting the gym at 5am.' But the latest trend helping stars to pass the time is a little less glamorous - and more associated with grannies than Grammies.

Yes, knitting is having a moment - and the A list is here for it. Oscar-winner Julia Roberts arrived on the Australian set of her new movie, Ticket to Paradise, this week, holding a bulging bag of knitting supplies - she's known for knitting intricate patterns to pass time in between her scenes, and she carried a bag of wool and a half-finished cream knit.

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly also just revealed that she's taken up knitting thanks to Tom Daley, not just a super-human Olympian, but also a keen knitter. Writing in Hello! Magazine, she said, "This is the year that I'm determined to master a new hobby, inspired by Tom Daley when he came on my show as a guest last month.

"Tom is a man of many skills, not just an Olympic gold medal-winning diver and TV pundit and presenter, but he's also an excellent knitter."

Read more: Knitting for beginners: everything you need to know

"I'm sure you saw him sitting in the stands during the Olympics knitting a fantastic chunky jumper emblazoned with the "Team GB" logo, and he knits for his husband Lance and their toddler son.

"When Tom came on the show, he presented me with a pair of needles and a big ball of fuchsia pink wool and I was instantly hooked. We sat amicably knitting and chatting and I loved it."

She went on, "I made Ruby (my daughter Rosie's mini sausage dog) a scarf out of the pink wool, as well as a misshapen woolly jumper, and now my family and friends are living in fear and dread of me gifting them hand-knitted woolly socks, mittens and balaclavas."

Lorraine is not alone in her newfound love of knitting. Plenty of actors while away the waiting time on set with a ball of wool, including, reportedly, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Amy Adams, Kristen Stewart, and Meryl Streep. Actress Katherine Heigl has even written a blog about her knitting projects. Fashion queens Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristen Davis, who plays Charlotte in And Just Like That... are also keen knitters.

Watch: Tom Daley thanks son and husband - and knitting - after winning fourth Olympic medal

Even Madonna - Madame X herself - is thought to be a knitter. It's not just women, either. Allegedly, actors who rely on clicking needles to relax include Ryan Gosling, Paul Rudd and Ewan McGregor.

Tom Daley is so keen on the wool-life, he's now launched his own line of knit kits, with a 15-piece collection of knit-your-own hats, scarves, vests and blankets and more, called Made With Love.

“It’s been a journey for me that started when I first picked up my knitting needles in March 2020.” he said.

“Fast forward 18 months and I’m so proud to introduce these kits to you all so that you can experience the joy I found learning to knit."

At only 27, he's a youthful knitter- as is actor Dakota Fanning, who is so prolific, she gives her creations to her co-stars, including Tom Cruise, and Ewan McGregor who starred with her in American Pastoral.

Read more: Knitting Benefits Your Brain And Body

Supermodels, too, are known for passing the time in hair and make-up knitting - the ultra-cool Cara Delevingne has made no secret of her hobby.

If the Queens of chic are at it, there's clearly no shame in unpacking your needles and a ball of wool, no matter where you are.

Mind you, not everyone has the skills. Last year, The Duchess of Cambridge met with a knitting group and confessed that she'd tried knitting something for her firstborn, Prince George, when he was a baby.

Kate added that she needed the group to help - as it was "so terrible", she'd only got halfway, before giving up entirely.

Watch: How to start your own knitting group