KNIT FOR GOOD: Neighbors bringing joy to OU Children’s Hospital
STROLL NICHOLS HILLS MAGAZINE
February 2023

Written by Lacey French, Content Coordinator

“Giving” is the theme for this wonderful group, Knit for Good. I had the honor of speaking to the group’s founder and Nichols Hills neighbor, Debbie Trachtenberg, on how this organization came to be and the little lives it touches.

We start this lovely story with a Great Dane named Archie. Archie is a therapy dog that visits Children’s Hospital with his owner, Debbie. They have been visiting Children’s Hospital for many years and light up the faces of kids and adults alike. Knit for Good came about over a year ago when Archie and Debbie went to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She met a patient’s mom who was knitting the cutest little hats. She said it was a great way to pass the time, relieve some anxiety, and make something good of a not-so-great situation.

The woman wanted to share a story with Debbie. She remembers, “I was on a train years ago in Canada, and the woman across from me was knitting. I started asking her questions and was very interested in her cause. The woman said, ‘I knit hats for the NICU in Toronto, and I am going to teach you how to knit. That way, you can pass it on in your town.’ At that point, she looked at me and says, ‘And now I have chosen you.’”

Debbie claims her eyes were saucers. She had no idea how to knit and felt the pressure of carrying this woman’s request. So, over the next day, they worked together on loom knitting. Debbie was really paying attention because it wasn’t like she could contact this woman, nor did she know her name due to HIPAA. Debbie did what all of us would do — she YouTubed it!

She sat at her kitchen table for six hours, tried and tried, and taught herself. It took a while to get the hang of it, but after a few days, they started looking really cute. Soon, her neighbors were asking what it was she was doing. They asked, “Can you teach us?” “Of course!” Debbie responded. It started with three people weekly knitting hats, and then the group would grow with moms, friends and friends of friends helping this mission. Today, they have over forty people! They still have their weekly knitting sessions as well as drop-offs of finished hats. This is an amazing group of people, so very vested and passionate about helping the kids, their families and the cause, but it doesn’t stop there!

Debbie received a phone call one day asking if she was the one making these hats. The nurse then told her that they have a very creative 22-year-old patient that will be in the hospital for a while and wondered if she would teach her how to knit. Debbie met with the patient and spent 4-5 hours showing her the ropes. She came back to the clinic the next morning and found the patient had knitted two huge panels. Debbie couldn’t believe it! The patient claimed that it had helped with her anxiety so much, and she felt great last night, so she just kept going. Word travels fast in a hospital, so more patients were taking up the knitting, three more, then six, then eight patients. The group also brought supplies and taught the nurses how to make hats. A ‘knitting closet’ was set up for these wonderful oncology nurses.

All hats are displayed together on a large metal frame, allowing patients and their families to pick their favorites to keep.

At the time of this interview in November, the group had knitted 700 hats! Over Christmas, the group decorated a tree in the Family Resource Center with hats and invited patients, their families and also employees to come to choose. They gave away over 700 additional hats and continue to refill the tree two times a week as they make more!

There has been research into the effects of knitting and pain management/mental health. Debbie and her husband wanted to do more for Children’s Hospital and began teaching other departments, parents and kids. Some departments now have their own groups, such as Mended Hearts and Cardiac Caregivers.

If you’d like to learn more about Knit For Good, please email KnitForGood@gmail.com.