The Story Behind KatiesColorfulKnits
As there are varying stages of grief and healing when a loved one passes away, the same holds true of chronic illness; particularly Interstitial Cystitis. Although conventional descriptions of the disease would lead one to believe it simply resides in the bladder, anyone healing from the condition knows this is not the case. IC is systemically connected to both the physical and emotional state of the body. In the thirteen plus years in which I have presented with this illness, there have been ebbs and flows both in symptoms and in treatments. In order to remain mentally solvent, I needed to embrace a creative outlet that is a constant. My lifelong hobby of knitting has always been by immediate stress relief during my childhood and adolescent years, but when IC hit at the age of 20, it became more than something I enjoyed- it became a powerful meditative process for coping with daily pain and anxiety.
Each hand-dyed, quality yarn is chosen with a specific intention. Sometimes the intention may be the celebration of a new baby, the arrival of a new season or a meditative pattern to help ease discomfort. Looking at a beautiful skein of yarn, there is immense potential. The potential to give another a hand-made, practical, soothing and unique creation is an act of fulfillment and hope. While a friend was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, I made her a cowl of bright pink to support her fight. With this simple act, a business was born. I knit and crochet daily fulfilling orders for those who want anything from machine washable cowls for their toddlers to exquisite, sparkling colors made with only the finest fiber. In September of 2013, I opened an etsy store https://www.etsy.com/shop/KatiesColorfulKnits. The process of creating a work of fiber art with your hands is a transformative and powerful experience and I know the significant healing I have enjoyed under Dr. Matia Brizman’s care, is owed – in part- to honoring the creative process KatiesColorfulKnits has come to represent.
