Knitting and Volunteering Nurtures Emotional Quality of Life

We wanted to set up this client for success and started with a practice swatch to stimulate her recollection of knitting and increase the use of her left hand that had been weakened by a stroke.

Cathy appeared delighted to discover that her memory of knitting returned quickly. She was able to manage with larger needles. In our initial session, we discussed making hats for the babies in the intensive care unit at the hospital. After discussing the plan together, Cathy expressed the desire to switch to knitting scarves for cancer patients. Including her in this decision process is important and created a feeling of independence and control of her circumstances in life.

Cathy was wonderful to talk with and shared details about her mother’s crocheting skills, evident in the beautiful table covering in her room. Conversation during knitting together fills an emotional need for connection, and also helps create trust and a sense of community.