, director of the program at the , first got introduced to knitting while pursuing her at the college.
鈥淚 learned from some 鈥榞randmas鈥� in my Jewish community and found a passion that has stuck with me for 17+ years,鈥� she said. 鈥淜nitting helps me to channel my energy into a creative outlet. I can take a break from screens and see yarn take life. It always fascinates me how a ball of yarn can turn into a masterpiece.鈥�
Photo source: Canva
Through informal conversations at the college, Oberne found out that others shared her passion. She would often connect with , a COPH professor, and , a pharmacist and student concentrating in , over their knitting projects.
And a knitting circle was born.
The group most recently decided to partake in a 鈥渕ystery knit along鈥� together.
A mystery knit along, said Oberne, who knits primarily for friends and family, is a knitting event in which a designer breaks down a pattern into sections, sending out pieces of it over the course of a specific time period. Without a full pattern in front of them, knitters do not know what their final product will look like. The knitters know what object they are creating鈥攕ay, a blanket or a scarf鈥攂ut not know how the pieces will fit together.
The three ended up making a 鈥渕ystery鈥� shawl. They received four clues, or pattern pieces, over four weeks and checked in with each other periodically to note their progress.
Oberne's "mystery" shawl. (Photo courtesy of Oberne)
For Oberne, knitting doesn鈥檛 just give her a beautiful object to wear or gift. It gives her stress reduction.
鈥淧ublic health is all about promoting good health and well-being,鈥� Oberne said. 鈥淔or me, knitting boosts my mental health. I can connect with friends and colleagues and spend time relaxing with a hobby that I love. An added bonus is that I don't mindlessly snack because my hands are occupied!"