Sydney, Jan 18 : Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has revealed she beats stress by knitting.

Gillard, whose hobby is closer to that of former PM Paul Keating, who collected antique French clocks, said that knitting was a means of escaping the many cares of high office.

She said that hers is a pretty stressful job, often involving her arriving home late at night and needing to get some sleep ahead of early morning starts.

According to news. com. au, she told ABC radio that the thing that's good about knitting is it takes enough attention that one's mind can't be racing a million miles an hour on everything else.

Politicians in high office have often indulged in passions outside of politics as a way of beating stress.

Gillard managed to get some time away from work over the Christmas and New Year season, taking 10 days off and leaving the nation in the hands of deputy Wayne Swan.

She and partner Tim Mathieson spent time with family in Adelaide, undergoing the trying experience of preparing the Christmas lunch.

During the break the prime minister said she did manage to read a few books and do some knitting.

Last year it was revealed Gillard had knitted a little jacket for the baby girl of Finance Minister Penny Wong, the report added. (ANI)