Tonight, I would like to talk about something near and dear to my family. Years ago, my mama founded a non-profit called Healing Fibers Foundation. The goal of this organization is to help people who deal with chronic illness find a therapeutic respite in fiber arts. This includes caretakers since we know all too well the stresses and struggles involved in caring for someone with disabilities or illnesses.
When my mama became ill years ago, she rediscovered knitting as a way of keeping her mind off the pain and struggles she was facing. From there, it expanded to crocheting, weaving, spinning, and just about any other fiber related art she could find. It kept her hands, not only busy but dexterous. The patterns were engaging and kept her mind sharp. The spinning wheel was used as a form of exercise to help reduce the tightness in her legs. Fiber arts have played a huge part in keeping her sane during the last 11 years while she faced incredibly challenging physical issues and fought to return to functional health.
 |
| Bobbins of Silk/Yak singles ready to be plied. |
Realizing how helpful it was for her, Mama wanted to help others who face the daily challenges of chronic illness find their way to fiber arts. She has now been published in Spin-In (an international magazine through Interweave), runs a Facebook group, developed kits (currently offering knitting, spinning, and crochet) to help teach and get people started,
and has a group of faithful followers who are always welcoming to new people. This gives people a place to complain and talk about the challenges they face without judgement or the ever-present questions and recommendations that everyone seems to want to pass along. It’s a place where people share their triumphs, in both health and crafts.
If you are looking for a place that is accepting and understanding, this is a great resource.
 |
| Kits ready to go! |
No comments:
Post a Comment