Vanity Fair has issued an apology over a video it posted which suggested Hillary Clinton should take up knitting in the New Year.

The video, entitled Six New Year's Resolutions for Hillary Clinton suggest Mrs Clinton should take up "literally anything that will keep you from running again."

The video has generated thousands of retweets and comments since it was posted on 23rd December.

It was uploaded to Twitter with the caption "maybe it's time for Hillary Clinton to take up a new hobby in 2018" and showed Vanity Fair editors drinking champagne and making suggestions about what the defeated presidential candidate should do next year.

The suggestions include:

• "It's time to start working on your sequel to your book, What Happened: What the Hell Happened."
• Get someone on your tech staff to disable autofill on your iPhone so that typing in F doesn't become 'Form Exploratory Committee for 2020.'"
• You know how on Anderson Cooper you were telling him about alternate-nostril breathing? You seemed really adept. You should try teaching a class."
• "Take more photos in the woods. How else you are going to meet unsuspecting hikers?"
• Take up a new hobby in the New Year: Volunteer work, knitting, improv comedy - literally anything that will keep you from running again."
• Put away your James Comey voodoo doll. We all know you think James Comey cost you the election, and maybe he might have, but so did a handful of other things. It's a year later and time to move on."

Actress Patricia Arquette responded: "Hey STOP TELLING WOMEN WHAT THE F*** THEY SHOULD DO OR CAN DO. Get over your mommy issues."

Hey STOP TELLING WOMEN WHAT THE F-CK THEY SHOULD DO OR CAN DO. Get over your mommy issues.

— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) December 27, 2017

Another Twitter user said: "This is disrespectful and disappointing, ultimately representative of the god-awful reporting that helped Trump secure his win. Cheers to you, @VanityFair."

But others found the video less offensive.

One person wrote: "I'm pretty sure this is meant to be a lighthearted, wry reflection on her presidential campaign. It's not exactly an incendiary hit-piece."

While another said: "Loved this! Gotta repost on my Facebook page to irk those who are still stuck on November 8, 2016. Um, by the way, can I put my order in for a knitted pair of socks, Hillary!"

The publication later apologised for the video, but did not take it down.

"It was an attempt at humour and we regret that it missed the mark," Beth Kseniak, a spokeswoman for Vanity Fair said.