This mandala comes from Susan of Musings and Susings, who can be found on Facebook and LinkedIn. Here is her post about the Mandalas for Marinke project.
In her post she writes,
“I chose the spoke mandala pattern. For the yard I decided on Lion Brand Landscapesin Apple Orchard. I loved the colors and how they melded together. I had never tried the elongated double crochet, but after a few attempts, I got the hang of it.”
She also shares,
“Your book (purchased upon hearing about Wink’s death) is very moving. I had a stroke in November 2011 at the age of 39. My recreational therapist, upon learning that I crocheted, told my husband to bring in bulky yarn and a huge crochet hook. She taught me how to crochet again, and it was instrumental in my recovery.”
It is not uncommon for occupational therapists to recommend crochet as part of therapy for people who have enjoyed the craft in the past. One woman was encouraged in therapy to switch to left-handed crochet. Another uses modifications to crochet for charity since her stroke. And another’s first request in the hospital was for hook and yarn.
We learned from a previous post that 10–27% of post-stroke patients experience depression. Crocheting also helps relieve depression symptoms for many people, another reason that it should be recommended as an option for stroke recovery therapy!