Twiddle Muffs, or sensory bands, are knitted or crocheted hand muffs decorated with interesting bits and bobs like beads, buttons, ribbons, flowers, zips, pompoms, etc, that have been designed to provide people with dementia something to sooth restless hands, minimize agitation, and promote brain stimulation while keeping their hands warm at the same time.
I became interested in this topic because my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and wanted to make a twiddle muff for her. All the patterns I found were for knitted, or crocheted twiddle muffs, but not for loom knitting, so I decided to make my own pattern based on the instructions I found.

These instructions are for a basic twiddle muff, and you can customize it by using different texture stitch patterns, and yarns. This pattern is perfect for using up left over, and odd balls of yarn, and trying out different stitch patterns alternating knit and purl stitches.

Skill level:
Beginners. You need to know how to cast on, bind off, e-wrap knit, purl, sew the cast on and bind of ends.

Measurements:
14”-15” circumference, and 12” long.

Loom: I used the Authentic Knitting Board All-in-One loom, with a 3/8” gauge, but you can use any loom and yarn you have. Make a swatch, and use your gauge to get the correct measurements.

Yarn: Use different colors and textured worsted weight yarns. For this sample I used Red Heart Super Saver, Eye lash yarn paired with one strain of sock yarn, and Caron One Pound for the body, and sport yarn for some of the crocheted decorations.

Notions: loom hook, row counter, yarn needle.

Decorations: beads, buttons, textured ribbon, flowers, zippers, loops, pompoms, etc. Those need to be things that will not break, and are not sharp to touch, or brittle.