When Okotoks resident Meghann Clements threw a post online looking for balls of yarn for her brother, she was not expecting the overwhelming support they received.
Ian, who lives in Hamilton, Ont., went through a six-week rehabilitation program for drug addiction through September and October and has spent the last two weeks with his sister in Okotoks and other family in southern Alberta as he begins the road to recovery outside rehab.
While in rehab, he picked up crocheting and when he was with Clements had only a couple balls of yarn to work with, which she knew wouldn’t last long since he was knitting and crocheting for hours each day to keep his hands busy and his mind focused.
“He’s traded needles for needles,” said Clements. “He’s using it to keep his hands busy and he does it while he’s sitting there listening to his NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings every day, so I knew he’d be going through a lot more yarn than he could afford.”
Wanting to help her brother keep up his healthy habit, she took to the Let’s Buy Nothing Okotoks group on Facebook on Oct. 21 to ask if anyone in the community had extra yarn kicking around they wouldn’t mind giving away. In the post, she briefly explained why her brother was looking for supplies.
She had no idea what to expect, but the level of interest and kindness that poured out was overwhelming.
“I was completely blown away by the response from the community,” said Clements. “For a couple of days I was basically just driving all over town picking up bags filled with stuff on people’s steps.”
People donated everything from high-quality yarn and leftover remnants to knitting needles and crochet hooks, she said. Even more has come in since she posted a thank-you message on his behalf Oct. 24.
She said it’s been emotional to see the big hearts of her neighbours.
“I’ve been teary a couple times, even just showing him the yarn, and the generosity has been really touching for me,” said Clements.
Ian said the response from strangers was both overwhelming and surprising.
“This was totally beyond anything we expected,” he said. “I thought I’d get a few balls of yarn or something if people were just throwing out stuff. I have enough yarn to get me through to 2022.”
He has already shipped three boxes full of donated supplies home to Hamilton and filled two carry-on suitcases for his flight home, and intends to make as many washcloths and scarves as possible with what couldn’t fit before he leaves for home, to leave as gifts for his sister and parents.
At home, he’s considering starting knitting groups with other people recovering from addiction, because he’s seen firsthand how effective the craft can be for his own journey. He picked it up from someone in the rehabilitation program.
“There was a friend who, we’d get up and drink coffee and chat, and she was into crocheting and I asked if I could try it so she taught me how,” said Ian. “That was a few weeks before I got out, and I just fell in love with it.”
He’s a naturally fidgety person who tends to play with things like yo-yos or toys, keeping his hands busy at all times, and knitting or crocheting helps with that.
It’s also calming for the mind, he said.
“It’s a meditative practice, you don’t have to really think and you can just sit there and watch your hands make stuff,” said Ian. “Instead of making crack, I can knit a scarf. I figured crocheting is probably a lot better for my life.”
After rehab, he visited his ex-wife and while at her house made a washcloth. He gave it to her as a gesture of thanks for helping him along the way, and continues to give away his creations to people who have supported him through recovery as an offering of gratitude.
Making the cloth was cause for reflection.
“After I finished it I was thinking about it and I realized in the time it took me to make that washcloth I could have picked up and smoked about $60 worth of crack cocaine,” said Ian. “It got me thinking about what time meant, time in my life, and so obviously the money is a big issue, but just the time I spent using drugs and trying to get drugs and just being obsessed with using drugs, comparing that to being able to sit there quietly and listen to a podcast.”
Moments of quiet reflection come often while he sits with the needles, working on his various projects, and he said crocheting and knitting have become very therapeutic.
Receiving the gift of yarn from the community was also part of his recovery process. The very act of accepting donations without being prideful was a huge step, he said.
“Being able to say thank you and accept things without feeling too prideful or just feeling like I’m charity, receiving the things that were given was great and it was a turning point in who I am, to be able to accept the help,” said Ian. “But also the important point is a lot of people did it because their lives have been touched, or they know people in their family or friends who have been touched with addiction, they’re struggling with it.”
Clements said some people may not even realize their loved ones are struggling – her family was unaware because Ian had isolated himself. They thought the worst of the issues were alcohol and cigarettes, unaware his drug of choice had become crack cocaine.
She said if there’s anything people can learn from her family’s story, it’s the importance of acceptance, unconditional love without judgment and open communication with loved ones.
“I know we’re not unique and this is, sadly, something many people deal with, loved ones and addictions,” said Clements.
