Black Purl Magazine | Sharing the passion and soul of needlecrafts

QUICK CLICKS
Home
About Us
Advertise
Archives
Blog
Columns
Contact Us
Featured Articles
Media Room
Patterns
Share
Submit
Subscribe

Helping Hands
Interim House, Inc.
by L'Tanya Durante

"Creativity cannot flourish where trauma and addiction exist. Knitting has reawakened
creativity that our clients never realized they possessed."
~Kathryn Duffy, LCSW – Interim House~

As I sat in the surgical waiting area awaiting news about my mom’s surgery, I pulled out 5 double-pointed knitting needles and began knitting in-the-round. I wasn’t making anything in particular, but the repetition of the stitches and the rhythm of the needles calmed me. Apparently, my knitting had the same effect on those watching. One woman peered over my shoulder and said “I’ve never seen anyone use little sticks like that.” I thought, “if only you knew the power of these little sticks.”

Kathryn Duffy, a social worker, therapist, and facilitator of the knitting program at Interim House, Inc., a residential holistic substance-abuse treatment program for women in Pennsylvania, has had a similar personal experience with the therapeutic value of knitting. On a professional level, she witnesses the power of those little sticks weekly.

“My personal experience with knitting was a precipitating factor in initiating a therapeutic knitting program at Interim House Inc. Five years ago, when I learned that my daughter had to have spinal surgery, she and I decided to take knitting lessons because we had read that knitting was proven to be helpful during times of stress. During my daughter’s operation and long recuperation period, I knitted and taught just about everyone who visited us how to knit. Knitting fostered a sense of calm. My daughter also experienced a similar benefit from knitting, as it was one of the only activities she could tolerate and the repetitiveness was calming to her. Women in early recovery here at Interim House Inc. also experience great stress and I wanted to introduce them to an activity that had the potential to help them as much as it helped my daughter and me,” Duffy shares.

Using knitting as part of the recovery process at Interim House, Inc. began about five years ago when a client expressed an interest in knitting after seeing some of the staff wearing knitted scarves. “This client was at first uncertain of her ability to learn but after several days she was able to knit simple stitches. Despite low self-esteem and fear of failure, she proudly learned how to cast on. Her self-confidence increased as she began to teach others. Several more clients learned how to knit. They were surprised that they could accomplish this seemingly complicated task. Knitting became contagious, a positive activity for women who had little ability to regulate affect in a healthy way. Several women already knew how to crochet and we encouraged them in their craft and asked them to teach others as well. The first several groups were difficult because no one knew how to knit except two staff members. As the weeks went by, however, it became easier because the residents who have been part of the knitting group shared their knowledge with new residents as they entered the program, “explains Duffy.

The knitting program meets weekly for two hours. “This group has multiple purposes,” Duffy explains. “It engages the client in the therapeutic process, decreases isolation, and is an opportunity to teach, talk about, and practice affect management through knitting. It also allows the client a non-threatening way to speak in a group by talking about one’s work and offering suggestions to others building self-esteem. In the knitting program, rather than striving for perfection, we teach how to accept and cope with flaws. First projects with uneven edges and dropped stitches can serve as metaphors. As they look at their early knitted work, it can serve as a visual reminder of their growth and development over the months both in knitting and recovery. Clients are reminded that each day in recovery is like knitting: sometimes it seems difficult, but one day at a time, one stitch at a time produces remarkable results. This is a reminder that, while we all have imperfections, we are still whole.”

The knitting program has specific benefits for the women. According to Kathryn Duffy, the program has helped women improve their lives by offering them positive coping skills to deal with everyday stressors, instead of resorting to abusing drugs and alcohol. However, the program’s benefits are not just for the clients served. “The Interim House staff feels honored to participate in the healing process of our clients. We admire the strength, resiliency and courage it takes to walk through our front doors. This is their first step towards healing and learning how to walk through their fears. Their ability to eventually transcend so many years of suffering is a tribute to the strength of the human spirit.

Interim House, Inc. is a non-profit organization. They are continually grateful for those who hear about the knitting program and wish to donate yarn and supplies. To donate, please visit their blog, Knitting Ladies, or send an email to KnittingLadies@gmail.com.

<<Back to Columns>>