It all started with an out of the blue text message in April 2018 from one of my cousins, asking if I’d hand knit a sensory scarf for Autism Awareness Month for an amazing little boy. With sensory scarves being incredibly important, I felt honored she would ask me to make one, followed by the pressure to get it right. At that point in my knitting “career,” I hadn’t attempted to make one. Challenge accepted.
Sensory scarves provide comfort and a calming effect when someone is overstimulated and overloaded. Many are weighted, which affects touch receptors, that results in a relief of stress and anxiety. Some have different textures and fidget-type pieces to occupy the hands, thus calming the body. I like to think of them as mobile safe spaces.
Having not made one before, I turned to Pinterest, a great place for inspiration and ideas. I searched through various pins for any type of patterns. At the time, I didn’t find much, and it was beginning to look like I would need to make it up. (If you know me, you know that wasn’t entirely disappointing and would most likely have happened anyway.)
My next search was for materials. What type of yarn did I want to use? Should I use one type of yarn or a combination of different types of yarn? Or one yarn type and knit different textures into the scarf? One of the great things about yarn is that there are several different kinds, which provides endless possibilities. Decisions, decisions. I landed on a fantastically soft and thick yarn made by LionBrand® Yarn company, the Homespun® Thick & Quick®. It’s a super bulky yarn that is soft and somewhat fuzzy, taking care of some weightiness and texture.
Now, what color? A quick text message to my cousin to find out what the sweet young man’s favorite color is, wanting to add that extra layer of comfort. I don’t know about you, but when I see my favorite color (orange), I get happy. His favorite is all the shades of green. I can work with that.
After that, the other elements seemed to fall into place. Pockets were a must, because…I mean…pockets, right?! Who doesn’t like pockets? Someplace to put idle hands or store fidgets in.
Then add a hood, good for muffling light and sound, along with adding weight around the head. And, the added feeling of security in your safe space.
Being my first attempt at a sensory scarf, I went simple. Honestly, I wondered if I went too simple. The result, though, was loved…with even the envy of his little brother.
So, as I sit here and reflect on that precious custom make, I wonder if I should make more. This world provides overwhelming amounts of stimulants and anxiety. My skill level in knitting has increased since then…and I definitely have ideas…always have ideas. Maybe it’s time to make more, to provide mobile safe spaces for those in need. Bringing comfort to others is one of the goals of the shop. Hmmm…stay tuned.