Keeping tinnitus hands busy

One of the best ways that I have found to distract from my tinnitus, particularly in the evenings, is to focus on tactile creativity. Working with wool and felt is perfect. So, tonight I set about making a collection of friendship bracelets from local hand-dyed wool. I made the one above for my partner, Jeff. He loves the Tibetan silver dragon bead because the dragon is our National emblem.

I mention this because I know that many visitors to my blog are from other countries and may not know our National flag , here in Wales.

But my most favourite of all things to make are my little Heartfelt Books within which I write my stories and poems. There is something so sacred about taking so much time to make something so small and yet so loving. And I love the risk of it, that I might make a mistake when handwriting in my poem or very short story ... 

That's one of my top tips for for anyone learning to live with tinnitus. Expand upon your other senses. I quite often have essential oils on in my diffuser whilst creating with wool and felt in the evenings, or combine the two as both wool and felt absorb the essential oils really well.

I hope that is helpful advice. It can be hard to come to terms with tinnitus. By sharing what works for us, we might help others.

From Flock to Friendship

 

It feels both very beautiful and deeply poignant to put all of my love into making Friendship Bracelets. What started as a tactile therapy for my tinnitus, has become a deep rooted healing of self within the cultural context of where I live in West Wales. I have fallen in love with wool.

My wonderful Circle of Friends have been helping me to re-build my life by sharing their woolly skills and knowledge .

Bev, my neighbour and friend, gifted me a fleece from her flock which, to Jeff's horror, I then washed in the bath. I trimmed it all up myself in our shed, infusing the wool with a wild concoction of essential oils.

My friend Caroline visited me at Quiet Space Studio and taught me to drop spin, followed by my dear friend Susan, who taught me to twin ply on a spinning wheel.

The deeper I have become lost in the process of putting love into my little bracelets, the more my soul has become found.

And then a woman called into Quiet Space Studio to chat to me about spinning and she told me how she kept her own flock so that she knew where her wool was coming from. How utterly wonderful. It was as if Mother Earth herself had sent this angel with a message. 

'Jeff ... ' I said tentatively that evening, 'I have a burning desire.'

'Oh no, now what,' he teased.

'I have a burning desire to keep sheep.'

And so the seed is planted. I have set an intention that I will have 3 sheep. I have no idea how to take care of them nor where I will keep them. I do not need to know. All I need to do is trust that the Universe has a plan and these desires have come from me letting go of knowing why.

Circle of Friendship

One of the unexpected things that has happened since opening Quiet Space Studio is that my beautiful friends, have gifted me some very lovely wool. I wondered how I could repay this kindness.

I decided to make 6 bracelets and offer them on my facebook page to my friends asking them to nominate someone that they felt would really benefit from receiving a surprise friendship bracelet made with love, weaving a wider circle of friendship.

I also had a look through my facebook feed and where I could see a little sadness or loss, I wrote to the person & asked them if they would like to receive a Circle of Friendship Bracelet.

The response has been so heart warming. It really does seem to touch people's hearts. 

Small actions of love have been the key to my own healing and now I feel strong enough to share that love in just a small way, to help others.

Wherever you are and whatever you are up to today, know that you are loved. We are dolphins in the same ocean.