By Rosemary Daniels
The Monmouth JournalFAIR HAVEN – (June 5, 2015) – Lisa Luckett of Fair Haven has faced more personal challenges than many of us will ever be called upon to endure. She is a 9/11 widow who lost her husband, Ted, during the terrorist attacks, and faced the reality of raising her three young children, Jennifer, Billy, and Timmy, as a single parent. Her youngest son was 4 months old at the time.

In 2008, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and went through a lumpectomy, followed by a series of radiation treatments.

But these setbacks have not defined Luckett.

At the age of 55, she is an effervescent goodwill ambassador who sees great hope in the world. After 9/11, she sought treatment with a therapist, who helped her to heal, and in the process, she experienced a great rush of creativity.

She knew that she needed to channel this gift, and seized upon knitting as the creative outlet which would bring her both peace and a way to reach out and repay others for the kindnesses that they have shown to her. The first shawl, which Luckett created using her own pattern, was made for her therapist.

“I started knitting for all the people who took care of me,” said Luckett. “When I knit a shawl for someone, I envision that person, and infuse the shawl with love.”

With this first effort, her company, Cozmeena was born. The name was coined when her friend, Carol Kane, tried on one of the shawls. The term describes something that is both cozy and glamorous at the same time  a pashmina for the soul.

Luckett sells her knitting kits online, and runs the business out of her home. She tips her hat to Lynn Volker, owner of Daisy Chocolates in Monmouth Beach, as the inspiration for her business model.

She started her chocolate business out of her home, and brought in her friends to help her succeed, Luckett said of Volker.

The knitting kit, with a choice of 29 different colors, is available on the website www.cozmeena.com for $125. Included are needles, a crochet hook, five skeins of yarn, written instructions and a password-protected Cozmeena knitting tutorial.
Luckett’s trademark item, the Cozmeena heart, is included in every kit. It symbolizes the love that goes into making each shawl. Luckett also carries a supply with her wherever she goes, and bowls of the hearts are placed around her home.

Recently, a friend passed on some of these hearts to the family of Robert Gildersleeve Jr., a husband and father of two who died in the Amtrak derailment on May 12 near Philadelphia. Gildersleeve formerly lived in Holmdel and graduated from Middletown South High School.

Because so many of the women who bought the kits needed to learn to knit, Luckett started hosting Open Knitting sessions in her home on Mondays and Wednesdays. During these sessions, Luckett realized how therapeutic knitting can be.

“Knitting) calms your breath, slows your heart rate, quiets your central nervous system,” she said. “You’re soothing yourself without thinking about it.”

One of the women who attended a recent session agreed.

Beth Drazin is working on her fourth shawl and said, “It’s so relaxing. It reminds me of old-fashioned therapy.”

Luckett said that women who are experiencing empty nests find that the knitting and group interaction are cathartic. She plans to hold summer knitting sessions on Mondays, from 4-6 p.m. New participants are encouraged to join.

The shawls take about 10 to 12 hours to make and, to date, Luckett has created 111 shawls. She has introduced Cozmeena to 145 knitters to date, ranging in age from 10-82 years of age.

And the reviews have been very positive.

Denise Kelleher said, “I had not touched the art of knitting since the third grade – and now I am on my second beautiful Cozmeena! Knitting for me has been a relaxing, creative outlet and not very complicated. Thank you Lisa for teaching and sharing this with me. You have brought so many lovely people together!”

Luckett sees the shawls as part of a tree diagram for her overall business, the concept of which is built on warmth, comfort, care and decency. A quick look at her website reveals that there are many branches to this tree. Included are healthy recipes, information for cancer patients, as well as Lisa’s personal history  all interspersed with Luckett’s philosophical observations.

The lifelong crafter said, “Knitting is all about the tactile experience. On a larger scale, Cozmeena is about feeling good. My ultimate goal is to connect all like-minded thinkers.”
Toward this end, she is starting Cozmeena conversations, where people gather to think, share and find enlightenment beyond the norm and consider new perspectives for a happier, balanced life. On June 10, she is hosting a conversation, featuring Darryn Silver, an intuitive life coach, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. More information is available on the website.
In summary, Luckett said Cozmeena is about taking care of yourself as you take care of others, finding comfort through your five senses. Cozmeena Enlightened Living is a movement for improvement.