Following the Threads

by Bruce Neff

Knitting and crochet differ, mainly in regards to the tools and techniques used to create a variety of items. These may be practical, such as beanies to keep your head warm; fashionable, like a cute cowl for your lovable pet; or a way to express yourself, in a LGBTQ+ scarf worn with pride. Either way, they all have something in common, all threads of various textures, colors, and origins being brought together to create something beautiful.

Shannon Rose, a Speech and Language Pathologist at Oak Ridge Elementary, spends time moonlighting through a business called Shannon Unraveled, which started with some tugs on her heartstrings. It all began when she wanted to find a way to raise money for her older brother, who is gay and works as a Director of Operations at Camp Brave Trails, a summer leadership camp for LGBTQ+ youth/teens. They were in the process of raising funds to purchase a “forever home” for their campsite instead of renting every year, and she felt her hobby might turn into a way to help this great cause. After a few months and a lot of head scratching, she found Etsy. The ease of the platform allowed her to not spend as much time on the “business”, and instead, focus on the creative process.

Shannon is very passionate about inclusivity and the importance of safe places where people can be themselves. “We are all born to be different,” she stated. During stay-at-home learning, she watched the documentary My Beautiful Stutter about a summer camp for kids who stutter to go stutter freely without having to mask the disability. The documentary inspired her professional work and challenged her views on how we oftentimes teach our kids to fit a mold that perhaps they are not meant to fit into. She expressed that, “If we can create a safe place where our kids are able to advocate for themselves, whether that be expressing their needs or feeling comfortable talking to others about their speech differences, then the social-emotional impact of a speech and language impairment can have significant effects on the mental health of our youth, as many teachers have certainly seen.”

The threads of inspiration for Shannon Unraveled came from a variety of areas: personally, through her desire to help her brother’s wonderful youth program; professionally, through her role as an SLP; and artistically, through her hobby of knitting and crocheting. It is this wonderful diversity and many life experiences, however, that have come together to create something wonderful.

If you are interested in learning more, check out some relevant links:

https://www.bravetrails.org/

https://www.mybeautifulstutter.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/shannonunraveled

https://instagram.com/shannonunraveled

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