How to crochet a twiddlemuff
Published on 17 March 2020 By Sophie Brown 1 min readIf you know someone with dementia or Alzheimer's or you're crocheting for charity, a twiddlemuff is an excellent project to undertake. A twiddlemuff is simply a knitted, crocheted or fabric tube with accessories such as ribbons and buttons sewn on to them. You can find out more about what a twiddlemuff is in our how to knit a twiddlemuff post.
Twiddlemuffs are great for those with dementia or Alzheimer's, as they help to ease agitation and calm the person’s mood by keeping their hands and minds occupied. Many hospital wards have found that the muffs have a positive effect on patients by keeping them comforted, as well as encouraging movement and brain stimulation.
In this video, we show you an example of how you can crochet your very own twiddlemuff for someone you know, or to donate. You can use any stitch (or stitches) – there are no rules – but try to use lots of colours and textures. Adding things like buttons, bells, pom poms, and ribbons helps by giving the recipient lots of little things to keep their hands busy.
How to crochet a twiddlemuff step-by-step
1
Start by making a chain 30cm long
2
Choose your favourite crochet stitch and work a few rows
3
Continue working in rows of new colours until you reach roughly 60cm in length
4
Now for the fun bit. Freestyle your accessories, adding ribbons, pom poms, buttons and more. You don't need to be neat, just focus on adding lots of different textures
5
Fold the rectangle in half and sew up along the long end to create a tube
You've just finished your first twiddlemuff – great work! If you're searching for inspiration or want a pattern to start with, this one makes an excellent starting point. But remember, creating twiddlemuffs is such fun because there are no rules!
