PATHWAYS PROFILE
Project Knitwell: Knitting With a Purpose
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BY LAUREN BRENNAN
Whether waiting for a loved one in surgery or not knowing where your next meal will come from, living with the uncertainties of life can EHGL̇ FXOWIRUDOORIXV7KURXJKRXWWKHSDQGHPLFZHKDYHDOOIDFHG unprecedented levels of uncertainty and stress. We are now at a point of transition when we need coping mechanisms to help us feel calm DQGWR¿QGDVHQVHRISXUSRVH7KLVLVZKHUHWKHFRPIRUWRINQLWWLQJ can be a powerful tool. At Project Knitwell (PK), our mission is to provide opportunities for those facing stressful situations to learn to knit and build resil- LHQFHDWWKHVDPHWLPH5HVLOLHQFHLVW\SLFDOO\GH¿QHGDVWKHFDSDFLW\ WRUHFRYHUIURPGL̇ FXOWOLIHHYHQWV:KHQZHWHDFKWKRVHIDFLQJVWUHVV - ful challenges how to knit, we create more community and comfort ZLWKHDFKUK\WKPLFVWLWFK+HOSLQJSHRSOHH[SHULHQFLQJKDUGVKLSVE\ providing knitting instruction and shared community opportunities promotes wellness and resilience. We form a supportive connection ZLWKWKHSHUVRQZKRLVOHDUQLQJWRNQLWZLWKXV,QWKDWPRPHQWRI calm while knitting together, the person is able to shift away from the stress and focus on something new. (VWDEOLVKHGDVD F QRQSUR¿WLQ3URMHFW.QLWZHOODLPV WREULQJWKHMR\RINQLWWLQJWRSHRSOHIDFLQJGL̇ FXOWVLWXDWLRQV,WZDV started by a mother as a result of her experience caring for her hos- SLWDOL]HGLQIDQWGDXJKWHU:KLOHVSHQGLQJFRXQWOHVVKRXUVLQWKHKRV - SLWDO&DUROUHFDOOVKRZVORZO\WLPHSDVVHGDQGKHUGL̇ FXOW\FRQFHQ - trating. Knitting provided a welcome distraction from the immediate worries of her daughter’s hospital stay. Not only could she keep her mind and hands occupied, the end result was something of beauty replacing the darkness and loneliness that otherwise permeated the KRVSLWDO URRP (YHU\ GD\ KXQGUHGV RI SDUHQWV MXVW OLNH &DURO ¿QG themselves waiting and worrying in hospitals across the country. Car- ol founded Project Knitwell in hopes that patients and family mem- EHUVZRXOGJDLQWKHVDPHEHQH¿WVIURPNQLWWLQJWKDWVKHIRXQG 3URMHFW .QLWZHOO LV QRZ D UHFRJQL]HG OHDGHU LQ WKHUDSHXWLF NQLW - WLQJ:HKDYHSDUWLFLSDWHGLQUHVHDUFKRQWKHEHQH¿WVRINQLWWLQJIRU oncology nurses and been featured in The Washington Post, 86 News , Vogue Knitting Magazine DQGRWKHUSXEOLFDWLRQV,QFRQMXQF - WLRQZLWK/LRQ%UDQG<DUQ&RPSDQ\ZHSXEOLVKHG The Comfort of Knitting LQ ZKLFK HPSKDVL]HV KRZ NQLWWLQJ FDQ EH XVHG DV D wellness tool. A cornerstone of mental health for many people is creating with our hands, giving our brain the stimulation it needs, while also smoothing out the jagged hard parts of our day. A new hobby like knitting can ig- QLWHDVSDUNRIMR\,WFDQEHVRPHWKLQJZHWXUQWRIRUFRPIRUWGXULQJ DQDJRQL]LQJZDLWRUDVSDUWRIDGDLO\URXWLQHWRVLPSO\UHFDOLEUDWHDW the end of a long day. PK volunteers routinely witness true resilience when working with hundreds of hospital patients, family caregivers, doctors, nurses, teachers, teens facing mental health challenges, homeless individu- DOV UHIXJHHV YHWHUDQV DQG RWKHUV OHDUQLQJ WKH ZHOOQHVV EHQH¿WV RI NQLWWLQJ)RUWKHVHGLYHUVHJURXSVNQLWWLQJSURYLGHVWKHVHOIḢ FDF\ patience, and perseverance needed to overcome their hardships. More Than a Hobby — Why Knitting Is Good For You Knitting is an excellent activity to support your mental health and \RXUORQJWHUPZHOOEHLQJ$FFRUGLQJWR0HQWDO+HDOWK$PHULFD VRPHRIWKHEHQH¿WVRINQLWWLQJLQFOXGH
With just a set of needles and a ball of yarn, knitting is a portable craft that can provide an uncanny calm and deep sense of relaxation OHDGLQJWRLPSURYHPHQWVLQRYHUDOOZHOOEHLQJ7KH:RUOG+HDOWK2U - JDQL]DWLRQ KDV GH¿QHG ZHOOEHLQJ DV ³DQ DELOLW\ WR UHDOL]H SHUVRQDO potential, cope with daily stresses, and contribute productively to so- FLHW\´5HVHDUFKVKRZVWKDWURXWLQHO\WU\LQJQHZWKLQJVFDQVWLPXODWH new neural pathways as we stretch our senses. One recent study that included some knitters found that any amount of increased time spent doing a craft was associated with improvements in life satisfaction, while spending more than a half hour per day watching TV or similar PHGLDZDVDVVRFLDWHGZLWKLQFUHDVHVLQGHSUHVVLYHV\PSWRPV KWWSV SV\DU[LYFRPQZM Furthermore, PK participated in a research study conducted at 0HG6WDU *HRUJHWRZQ 8QLYHUVLW\ +RVSLWDO WKDW GHPRQVWUDWHG KRZ providing knitting opportunities helped oncology nurses manage VWUHVVRUVRQWKHLUVKLIWDQGFRPEDWFRPSDVVLRQIDWLJXH,IWKHVHQXUV - es felt like they were running on empty, we helped them use knitting DVDZD\WRUHFKDUJHUH¿OODQGUHMXYHQDWH3XEOLVKHGLQWKH)HEUXDU\ LVVXHRI Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing ³7KH,PSDFWRI D.QLWWLQJ,QWHUYHQWLRQRQ&RPSDVVLRQ)DWLJXHLQ2QFRORJ\1XUVHV´ the pilot study showed preventing the emotional exhaustion that can cause compassion fatigue is critical to lowering nurse turnover rates and improving the overall quality of healthcare. Nurses must focus on self care, just as they provide quality care for their patients. One well- ness tool we hope they will turn to is knitting. 3URMHFW.QLWZHOOORRNVIRUZDUGWRH[WHQGLQJVFLHQWL¿FUHVHDUFKUH - ODWHGWRWKHEHQH¿WVRINQLWWLQJDQGZHOOEHLQJ6HHNLQJZD\VWRHQ - JDJHRXWVLGHRI\RXUQRUPDOFRPIRUW]RQHRUWKHGHVLUHWRKDYHQHZ H[SHULHQFHV LV UHIHUUHG WR DV QHRSKLOLD ,W LV D SUHGLFWRU RI ORQJHYLW\
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PATHWAYS—Winter 22—9
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