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A crowd waited for french fries at the market stand beside her. But she sat still, focused on her work. Colorful baby sweaters, the fruits of her labor, lay before her waiting for a curious passer-by to stop and peek.
Most people keep walking. But Aviles, 55, doesn't mind. She started crocheting for her health, not to make money. The stand at Central Market came later.
Two years ago, the Springettsbury Township woman suffered a stroke, limiting the use of her right arm. Surgery, marked by a small scar on her neck, improved blood flow to her brain, but she still needed physical therapy, which was expensive under
"So this is my physical therapy," she said of the mesh of fabric she held in her hands.
Aviles learned to crochet as a 13-year-old in Puerto Rico. After the stroke, she rediscovered her old hobby, making baby sweaters for friends and family. The process required patience, concentration and fine motor skills -- a perfect exercise for a stroke victim.
About four months ago, as the sweaters piled up, Aviles decided to sell them at the market. Most months, she sells two or three. At $40 each, it's enough to cover the $60 monthly rent.
It's almost a decent profit compared to what she earns from teaching adults Spanish. She gives those lessons for free. A retired teacher with a master's degree in bilingual
Dawn Mogren, 79, has spoken English her entire life.
"She prepares a beautiful lesson plan each week," said Mogren of York. "She's an excellent teacher. She works with you where you are at."
Her students thank her, but she knows she could say the same to them.
"I need food for the brain," she said. "It's really for my health."
As Aviles spoke, a young woman approached her stand, gushing about how "cute" the sweaters are. The $40 price tag surprised her a bit, though.
"It's a keepsake," Aviles said. "She can pass it on to her other children."
The woman decided to talk with her sister about the right color before buying.
"You do really beautiful work," she said. "I'm definitely going to come back and get one."
Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn't. But judging from the smile on Aviles' face, it didn't matter to her either way.
"That felt good," she said. "And that was for free."
wmalcolm@ydr.com; 771-2101
About Tamara Aviles
Age: 55
Lives in: Springettsbury Township
Family: husband, Amaury Lopéz; daughter, Leslie, 30, and son, Robert, 28; two grandchildren
Job: retired elementary teacher, bilingual education
Hobbies: crocheting, volunteering
Recovery tips
Other tips for improving fine motor skills
· Time yourself putting pegs in a pegboard and taking them out.
· Shoot marbles into a cardboard box several times a day.
· Use rubber bands to exercise your fingers. For example, place your affected hand on a table and loop a rubber band around one of your fingers. With your unaffected hand, pull the rubber band up and down to exercise the affected finger.
· Squeeze a rubber ball to strengthen your affected hand.
From www.strokeassociation.org, Web site of the American Stroke Association
