Page 66 - Simply Crochet - Issue 93 2020
P. 66
GOOD READ
Thannawantstoraise
awarenessofwheelchair
issues in yarn craft
side(righthand), as with knitting, due to my whohasaproblemwiththeirrightarm.” spondylosis,reachingthefloorisjustnot
handissues.” CrocheteducatorPaulineTurner,who possibleforme.Asaresult,Ican’tuseyarn
Annewenton,“Duetomytremors, foundedtheInternationalDiplomain bagsfromthefloor,and‘wheelchairtables’
crochetistheonlyhandcraftingIcandonow. Crochet,hassuccessfullytaughtahuge aretoosmalltoholdeverythingcrafters
Iusedtodoknitting,embroidery,tapestry spectrumofphysicallychallengedcrafters. need.Breakingyarnorgettingitcoveredin
andpapercrafts,butnowjustenjoycrochet. Shebelievesthatcrochetcanbeadaptedto oilfrommychairruinssomanythings,soI’m
Soit’simportant,withdetermination,tofind suitmostabilities,“Icanteachpeoplehowto stuckhookingsmaller,one-ballitems.”
awaytokeephooking.Ifoundwooden crochetwithonehand.Infactitdoesnot Whilesuchfrustrationsmightfellsome
hooksbetterformygripthanslippery ones, needanyspecialistequipment,evenbya crafters,Thannahasbeenbrainstorming
orthosethataretoobulky.” disabledperson,andjustasablindperson schemestoallowhertocontinuethecraft
Unfortunately,therearemanywaysone canknittheycancrochet.Thespecialist sheloves.“WhatI’dlovetoseeisawaytofeed
canexperiencemobilityorvisionissues,and equipmentwouldbethetypeofwheelchair, yarnfromthearmofmychair,or,ifI’mout
withthisinminditcanbeadvisabletomeeta neckbrace,etcthattheymayalreadyuse.” whenIuseabackpack,soitfeedsfrom
crochettutor,whocanoffertailoredhelp. Andthereareothercrochetaidsthat can behindme.Mychair’sarmbagsarenotbig
LindyZubairywhoteachesatDenman cometotherescueofthehookster enoughtoholdballsofyarn.Weneedtoraise
College,hasasuggestion forthosewithout strugglingtocounttheirstitches,asLindy awarenessasthiswouldhelpothercrafters
completemobilityinbotharms,basedon explains:“Ifbeingabletoseeisanissue,an too,notjustwheelchairusersbutalsothe
herownunusualexperiences.“Eventhough embroiderymagnifierwithabuilt-inlamp elderly,andpeoplewitharthritis who can’t
I’mleft-handed,Icrochetthestandardway canhelp.I’veseenpeopleusingmagnifiers gripaswellastheyusedto.”
becauseItaughtmyselffromabook. likeminers’lampsattachedtotheirheads,or It’sfantasticthatthevalueofcrochetis
However,whathasemergedisthatIdocarry aroundtheirnecks,angledoverthecrochet.” beingrecognisedbybothcharitiesand
outcertainmanoeuvresfavouringmyleft However,therearestillproblemstobe medicalprofessionals.However,
hand.Myrighthandclutchesthehookand solvedbeforecrochetcantrulycallitself concurrentlyitseemsthereisstillscopeto
littleelse.Thelefthanddoesalmostallthe universallyinclusive.ThannaMillerisa broadenassistanceforthemanyhooksters
workwithmyrightforefingersometimes self-employedpartneredcreativeonMixer outthere,andThanna’ssuggestionof
pressingdownonloopsonthehookwhen whohasbeencraftingforaround40years. workingtoraiseawarenessmighthave an
theyneed‘staying’.Sittinginanarmchair,I Nowawheelchairuser,shestillcrochetsbut immeasurablypositiveimpacton
canrestmyrightelbowonthearmofthe findsherselffrustratedwiththeconstraints generationsoffuture hooksters.
chair. This method would work for anyone of her wheelchair. “As someone with Written by Mark Davidson
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