Are you caught in the January doldrums? You might want to consider taking a stitch from our Brain Injury participants and trying a yarn craft. Knitting, crocheting, looming, and latch hooking are knot your average hobbies. They are truly off the hook! Staff member Althea Pestine-Stevens started the “Comfort Crafts” group which meets once a week. She said, “I love crocheting. It provides me great stress relief and is a source of pride that I can make things out of yarn. I wanted to enable other people to share in those good feelings too.” This idea created a chain reaction of excitement and spread like fleeced- lightning!

The Comfort Crafts group provides strategies to compensate for the reduced fine motor skills that often occur after a brain injury. The first group project was the creation of hand-made pom-poms. Group members worked deliberately on wrapping the yarn around a cardboard template, tying off the bundle and cutting the loops evenly. These can be difficult tasks after a brain injury, but the participants are up for the challenge with the support of upbeat staff and tight-knit group members.

Glen said, “As someone who is legally blind, it’s gratifying when you finish something. Even if you mess it up, you can see what you did wrong and next time you make sure not to do that.” Colors can be an issue for Michelle who is also legally blind due to a non-cancerous brain tumor near her optic nerve. She said that craft activities work best for her when she uses colors that contrast against the color of the table. “Althea recommended that I put my latch hook on a piece of white paper so I can see the colors better.” Tina is also hooked on latch hooking. She said, “I had a stroke and have aphasia. I have reduced function in my right hand, but I figured out how to use a latch hook. It feels wonderful to be able to latch hook. It’s relaxing.”

Sometimes, group members need a helping hand, literally. During a recent Comfort Crafts session, Molly carefully held a pom-pom for Sue, who experiences gross and fine motor difficulties on the right side of her body. With this support, Sue could trim her pom-pom, making it just right. Similarly, Brian utilizes a loom to provide structure for the creation of a hat. He said, “I enjoy finding out what works for me. I don’t have the full use of my left hand anymore, but this I can do.” He added, “Before I started coming to Living Resources, I never did any of this stuff. Like everything else I make here, it makes me feel that I accomplished something.”

These group members are not inclined to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes with regard to their injuries and how they feel about them. Jasmine, who shared that her brain injury occurred as a result of a car accident, said the group is “freaking awesome” but added that she sometimes gets frustrated when she doesn’t feel “up to speed.” These fiber friends who are truly weaved from the same cloth are always there to lift each other’s spirits. Brian immediately reminded her to not give up saying, “There is no speed!”

Michelle shared that before she started participating in Living Resources Brain Injury program, she was miserable. “I was angry about what happened to me. What did I do wrong to have this happen? But when I started here I got more comfortable. I started to come out of my shell. I was around people that I could relate to. I wasn’t judged, criticized, or ridiculed. I had found community. Before I started here I had no interest in art whatsoever. Now I love it!

Living Resources Brain Injury Services offers a comprehensive treatment program for people with traumatic and/or acquired brain injuries. Learn more at https://www.livingresources.org/services/brain-injury-services/