Knit for Good 2023 Knitathon

We can all agree on the power of collaboration to overcome these challenging times. We can work together towards a common goal: to help create healthier communities. Project Knitwell teaches those facing stressful challenges how to knit, in turn creating more community and comfort with each rhythmic stitch. The primary mission is to help people facing challenges by providing knitting instruction and shared community opportunities that promote wellness and resilience.

I will knit a row for each dollar of support to make a difference in the lives of those facing stress. Help Project Knitwell teach the comfort of knitting to more people facing challenging circumstances by sponsoring my Knitathon on March 18.

Your support will provide more quality supplies and instruction to those who need it the most! You're making a real difference for parents of sick kids, cancer patients, nurses and other caregivers, those affected by homelessness, at-risk teens, refugees, active duty and deployed service members and their families, and others.

Donations in any amount will go a long way to Project Knitwell knit with a purpose: wellness, comfort, and community.

Help Project Knitwell teach the comfort of knitting to more people facing challenging circumstances by sponsoring my Knitathon on March 18. As a young girl I was fascinated by my older sisters’ ability to knit, using 2 sticks and creating a blanket or a baby sweater from a ball of yarn. It seemed magical and their iridescent aluminum needles were actually pretty! I remember them trying to teach me, but alas I did not “get it” at the time. Through the years I always admired the beautiful handknits I would see and of course, received wonderful gifts for my children when they were born. It wasn’t until I was 30 years old and admiring my friend Kathy’s beautiful knitting that I asked her if she’d teach me. She had learned from a fellow teacher and knitted in an interesting way holding one of the needles stationary. She decided I needed to be taught by someone even more experienced than she and took me on a field trip to a yarn store that I had seen over the years, but never entered! We went to Dee’s Nimble Needles in Walpole, and suffice it to say, I was hooked! I signed up for a class and have never looked back. I knit for my children and husband as my first 3 projects and then embarked on scarves, mittens, sweaters, hats, etc through the years since. I found it soothing and meditative. My husband loved it because I was happily knitting as he would drive and over the years no matter where we went, I knit. Vacations, doctors’ offices, taking our kids to college, at the beach, during a baseball game, camping, it didn’t matter! Have knitting, will travel was my mantra and that was the way I somehow got things done. I remember my then 8 year old asking me if the stitches happened because I clicked the wooden needles together, like magic. I treasure that memory and sometimes feel that way! Through the years I have used knitting as a coping mechanism as life has challenged me or my loved ones through terminal illness, caregiving and grief. I would bring my knitting with me everywhere I went, it kept my hands busy, my mind occupied, and I was being productive. My sister asked me to knit something for her as she was facing treatment for metastatic breast cancer. I found comfort in knowing that with each stitch I said a prayer and thought of her. I knit for my nieces, my family and friends, but lost my way though somewhere in the next several years, grief upon grief knocked me over, it felt like I kept trying to stand up and a new more powerful wave would pull me under, and I’d come up gasping for air. My brain and mind and heart were too tired focusing on getting through each day as a caregiver and wife, Mom, sister, all the roles we are, and I forgot to take care of myself. I tried to pick up my needles and finish all the UFOs (UnFinished Objects) but wasn’t there yet. It was the determination to finish a beautiful Red Riding Hood Cape for my granddaughter that brought me back. I returned to my friend’s yarn shop where I learned to knit all those years ago and it felt like I was home. My dear friend Dee was wonderful as always and I found joy again in my knitting and when I finished that beautiful project, It was a triumph in many ways. I am so grateful to have found my way back, knitting soothes the mind, mends the heart, and brings joy. It is meditative, calming, rewarding, and I am so grateful to my friend Kathy for bringing me to Dee’s all those years ago, I am grateful to my friend Dee for always being there to listen, offer advice, help in any way, and to my first teacher Sue for teaching me a new lifelong skill. I hope that you will help me by donating so that we can share this skill and bring comfort to more people!

Donations in any amount will go a long way to help Project Knitwell knit with a purpose: wellness, comfort, and community.

• Wellness: Knitting allows me to recalibrate each day and find a moment to pause and reflect on my day. This practice helps me build resilience in the face of uncertainty.
• Comfort: The colors and textures of the yarn bring me joy! The soothing rhythmic stitches provide a sense of satisfaction.
• Community: I am grateful for the reward of a finished item I can share with others while learning from a diverse community of knitters.

I have seen first-hand the value knitting provides to my own mental health and wellbeing, as well as the impact it has on those we serve who are facing challenging situations. It is why I am committed to expanding the reach of this amazing organization. Your support will provide more quality supplies and instruction to those who need it the most! You're making a real difference for parents of sick kids, cancer patients, nurses and other caregivers, those affected by homelessness, at-risk teens, refugees, active duty and deployed service members and their families, and many others. Thank you so much!