Welcome to the Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program (AHP) newsletter. In this week's issue we are featuring stories about knitting. Project Knitwell's founder, Carol Caparosa discusses how knitting can offer comfort in times of crisis. Knitting also helps build community, according to the organization's new executive director, Lexi Keogh, who also shares insights on running successful nonprofits. Students from artist-in-residence Claire "The Knitter" Wagner's online knitting class share their work. And musician-in-residence Matt Peroutka offers a holiday music video performance.

Project Knitwell’s Founder, Carol Caparosa: Knitting as a Source of Solace in Hospitals and Communities

Carol Caparosa with MGUH staff on November 16, 2023

At just a week old, Carol Caparosa’s daughter was rushed to Georgetown Hospital’s pediatric ICU. Too anxious to read, Carol turned to knitting to get through the long hours of waiting while her baby girl’s medical team cared for her. Years later, Carol founded Project Knitwell to help others find comfort while facing challenging experiences. In this interview Carol describes her knitting classes for MGUH staff and her thoughts about the future of the organization she founded. 

We’re excited that you’re teaching a Project Knitwell class for MGUH staff. What can people expect -- especially beginners or those who haven’t knitted in many years? 

People can expect to learn a new skill. Instructors will provide a packet with everything they need, including a booklet and a starter kit with needles. Usually, everyone who is a beginner learns to knit. There is a learning curve to learning to knit because mistakes will be made but all are correctable. Once they learn to knit on the starter kit, we will help them get started on a project like a chunky scarf. If someone learned to knit when they were 10 or 20 and haven’t knitted in many years, the wonderful thing about knitting is it's a lifelong skill. They will have the muscle memory. I will quickly show them again, hand them the needles and soon they will be knitting away. They will experience knitting’s benefits too. People find that knitting relieves stress. Almost everybody says the same thing: “This is relaxing. I feel so much better.” Knitting also inspires a sense of accomplishment. Beginners will say, “I never thought I could do that.” The moms I’ve worked with in the NICU are good examples. Their little ones are often so fragile that they must wait two or three weeks before they can hold them. But they can knit a hat and watch the nurse put it on their baby’s head. 

Could you tell us about the experiences that led you to found Project Knitwell? 

My mother taught me how to knit when I was about 10. I knitted off and on after that. When my daughter – who is 33 years old now -- was seven days old, she was rushed to Virginia Hospital Center in the arms of her pediatrician, and once stabilized there, she was sent to the ICU at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She was diagnosed with multiple congenital heart defects. I wasn't knitting much at the time but someone I knew sent me a hand-knit sweater for her. I thought it was the nicest gift. I knew the effort involved in making it. I thought knitting could give me something to do while I waited in the hospital. I couldn’t focus enough to read. During my daughter’s 10-hour surgeries I basically just worried, cried and walked around. I didn’t go home very often. In those days – the 1990s – they’d have us sleep on cots alongside other parents. When I did get home briefly, I brought back knitting supplies (once you're a knitter, you always have a stash). Knitting became what I did during my daughter's hospital stays. I never finished anything. They turned into very long scarves. Once she was well enough to come home, I made her a lot of sweaters. From that point on, I've been a regular knitter. When she turned 15 years old, I went back to volunteer at Georgetown’s pediatric unit offering to teach moms how to knit. We started with a group of four moms who hadn’t left their rooms in weeks but would come out just for our sessions together. I could see in their faces that it meant a lot to them. We gradually expanded from there. 

What does the future of the Project Knitwell look like to you?

I founded Project Knitwell in 2010. We’ve worked in hospitals, including MGUH, Inova and Children’s National. We’re also in a lot of community sites around the region such as N Street Village, Friends of Guest House, Catholic Charities and others. Knitting builds community. I want to create groups of knitters in the places where we work so they can enjoy knitting together as a community. I'd like to see us build back the strong programs that we had prior to COVID as well as expanding in the DC area, as we can. Our board often talks about the possibility of expanding across the U.S. through Project Knitwell chapters. I’m not sure about that but I would like for us to be able to provide tools and resources for people who want to replicate what we do. I would also like Project Knitwell to be more involved in research. I hope to see health professionals recommend knitting as a wellness tool alongside meditation and yoga. There is some research on knitting but not enough. I think we can contribute in that way. 

Lexi Keogh, Project Knitwell’s New Executive Director, Discusses Nonprofit Success and How Knitting Builds Community

Project Knitwell’s new executive director, Lexi Keogh, has spent two decades working in nonprofits, most recently serving as the executive director of UpCycle Creative Reuse Center in Alexandria, VA. In the interview below, Lexi shares her thoughts on how nonprofits can be successful and reflects on how knitting can build community and teach us life lessons. 

As someone who has a great deal of experience in nonprofit administration, what are some of the key traits of successful nonprofits? 

I enjoy working in nonprofits because I get to work with people who have a wonderful outlook on the world and how they can make it better. Passion and good intentions only take you so far. You need a good foundation, solid plan and structure for your programs. That is especially true for those of us focusing on wellness and resilience. We're all human and can burn out. A stable foundation allows everyone involved to stay committed over time and pursue their passions. Often it is the behind-the-scenes mundane tasks – like building and maintaining a database of volunteers, for example – that are vital in making an organization successful. That's why I'm excited about Project Knitwell. They've had amazing programs for years, supported by dedicated volunteers. Their small staff relies on these volunteers, making them crucial in holding everything together. 

When did you get involved with Project Knitwell? How did you learn about the organization? 

I began working with Project Knitwell in 2018. I had experience in nonprofit work, so I offered to help behind-the-scenes with communications and fundraising. I organized events, prepared materials like press releases. I think I first learned about them through local knitting stores, which are big supporters of the organization. Knitting stores are great. They are a feast for the eyes and all the senses. Rows of color and texture fill the stores. You want to reach out and touch everything. Knitting stores also reflect Project Knitwell's mission which highlights community building. People who love knitting build community. If you're in a knitting store looking at needles or yarn, someone might ask if you've tried it before. Or they'll share their own experiences. The practice of knitting itself also builds community. When your hands are busy and you're focused, it’s easy to start talking and connect with others. 

How has knitting impacted you personally? 

Knitting is an important part of my family. My grandma was a knitter but I never asked her to teach me. I taught myself after finishing college. I found some beautiful yarn and started knitting a scarf for my husband. We called it the “seven-year scarf” because my children were young at that time and it took me that long to finish. My mom saved everything her mom made for me when I was little. My kids wore some of those same outfits when they were small. Grandma used to make slippers. I wore them so much that they got holes in the bottom. I still have a pair. They're sentimental to me. Over the years, I also discovered that knitting is a great way to be present in the moment. Knitting forces you to slow down, to be in the moment, counting your stitches carefully. As someone who is results driven, knitting has also taught me patience. I was making a sweater for my daughter recently but didn't finish before she outgrew it. So, I had to pull apart all my work and begin again. I’m remaking the sweater now with the same yarn. I still make mistakes, but I think to myself, that's how my daughter will know it’s handmade, that it's a labor of love. Knitting reminds me that hurdles are part of life and we must learn how to handle them creatively, even start over when necessary. 

Anyone with questions or who would like more information about Project Knitwell are encourged to email them at info@knitwell.org.

Claire "The Knitter's" Inspiring Student Creations

Claire and student, Kaykay Kindy. Kaykay is wearing a sweater she made under Claire's tutelage.

Claire "The Knitter" Wagner has been an AHP artist-in-residence since 2001. She has worked with countless patients, medical staff, caregivers, and community members, teaching them to knit, and also listening to their stories. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Claire began teaching online knitting courses. Her students join in from different US cities and overseas. Claire is renowned for her encyclopedic knowledge of knitting, as well as her ability to teach everyone from beginners to experienced knitters with patience and good humor.

Pumpkins by Andrea Pastel

Shawl by Katharine Karr

Hat by Elisabeth Tattersall

Dolls by Issa Lara

Cowl by Lorraine Ryce

Pumpkins by Issa Lara 

On behalf of everyone at AHP, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year.

The Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program (AHP) promotes a holistic approach to healthcare for patients, caregivers, physicians, nurses, staff members, and students through the use of music, dance, expressive writing, and visual arts. These therapeutic modalities are normally provided throughout the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and online through Eventbrite courses. The AHP is a program of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Please consider making a gift of any size to support the AHP so we may continue to grow and provide arts and humanities programming for our wonderful communities.