Two Franklin residents are using their personal hobbies to benefit others.
Stephanie Clark taught herself to crochet about four years ago after a friend, Tiffany Buchanan, encouraged her to start knitting. Clark found greater contentment in crocheting, she said.
“It’s a stress reliever for me,” Clark said.
Buchanan and Clark started out making hats for premature babies to donate to the American Heart Association. Then, Buchanan approached Clark in February with a project to benefit women who have endured mastectomies or other breast cancer procedures that was inspired by a group called Knitted Knockers.
The average breast prosthetic is often expensive, heavy, sweaty, and uncomfortable, according to the Knitted Knockers website.
A knitted knocker can be used as a more comfortable alternative to a prosthetic breast.
Clark’s mother, Teresa Clark, lost her 10-year breast cancer battle in May 2013.
Crocheting has helped keep her occupied since her mother passed.
“It hit home for me,” Clark said.
Clark, an emergency medical technician with Seals Ambulance for five years — including two years in Franklin, takes an average of two to three hours to crochet a cup pattern.
“I crochet whenever I have spare time and I always have a project with me,” Clark said.
The two friends have made about two dozen knitted knockers in the last month. Their goal is to donate locally and coordinate with oncologists at Johnson Memorial Health.
They are concerned that they may not be able to keep up with the demand, and would like to encourage others to get involved.
