CALLING ALL KNITTERS! By Dina Campeis

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A big shout out goes out to our Wednesday afternoon Mosaic Knitting Group who volunteered time making Tweedlemuffs for some of our clients living with Alzheimer’s Dementia. They also contributed to Mosaic’s Window at our Shops on Steeles & 404 resource centre

Knitting is one of those things I wish I could do but not so much that I take the time to learn. Yet!

Remember the Blossom Street series of books written by Debbie Macomber about a knitting store with characters of various ages and stories to tell? I was ‘hooked’ and read the entire series! Yet I still haven’t taken up knitting. I have however, been lucky enough to attend a weekly knitting group held at Mosaic Home Care. I can’t say that I’ve learned anything about knitting, but I have heard many stories and laughed along with the ladies who have now become friends. It’s Mosaic’s own version of the Blossom Street books.

Knitting and crocheting has become popular once again with the younger generation which is nice to see. They may not knit the shawls and sweaters that we remember, but they are ‘in to’ fingerless gloves, wrist warmers and boot cuffs. And, what about those knit coffee cozies? So cute!

There have been studies suggesting health benefits to knitting. Some, such as the 2011 study by The Mayo Clinic, indicate that knitting engages the brain in ways that can lead to improved brain function similar to other cognitive exercises such as reading books, using computers and playing games, and that these may reduce the development of mild cognitive impairment by 30-50%! Others are based on personal perceptions, and these are the ones that likely resonate with most of us who like to use our hands to create.

The benefits include:

– Feelings of accomplishment/purpose

– Reduced stress (at least for those not still learning!)

– Improved mood

– Sense of confidence

And when in a group setting, these benefits expand to include being social, making new friends, giving and sharing (of knowledge) even to the point of being a support group of sorts.

Interestingly, for younger people, they find knitting to be a good way to reduce stress, whereas for older people, a feeling of accomplishment is more important.

Whatever the reason, knowing that the above is important for knitters, Mosaic has started a project-based program for those who would like to either join a group of like-minded people, or work on a specific project. And the first of these is making a Twiddlemuff. Have you heard of Twiddlemuffs?

These are muffs that have embellishments on them so that those living with dementia have something not only to warm their hands, but also have bits and bobs to keep their hands busy. Since September is World Alzheimer Month, we are hoping to gather people together to learn to make Twiddlemuffs.

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If you don’t knit but have bags of wool to donate (or buttons, ribbon etc), please feel free to drop off. We could use the yarn either for the Twiddlemuffs or perhaps for the next project – cat blankets!

Mosaic hosts knitting every Wednesday at Shops on Steeles and 404 and once/monthly on Mondays in mid-Toronto in the CNIB building. If you would like to learn more about this, please email: info@mosaichomecare.com or call us at 905.597.7000.

If you are looking for knitting clubs in your area, contact your local yarn store, or contact https://torontoknittersguild.ca/.

By:

Dina Campeis

Community Relations Manager

Mosaic Home Care & Community Resource Centres

905.597.7000

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