In the hustle of everyday life, it’s easy to overlook the little things we take for granted—warmth, comfort, and a personal touch. For Janet Larson, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Riverwood Healthcare Center’s Behavioral Health clinic in Aitkin, these small gestures mean everything.
For over a decade, Larson has been knitting hats for her patients, offering them a choice from her ever-growing basket of handmade creations. Each hat is more than just a piece of yarn woven together—it’s a symbol of care, comfort, and connection. Patients wear them with pride, sometimes returning for appointments still wrapped in the warmth of her work.
Larson knits wherever she can—through meetings, during quiet moments at home, and even timing her progress to football games, finishing roughly one hat per game. Though she tries not to let it consume too much of her time, she finds the process deeply therapeutic. Every year, she gives away at least a couple hundred hats, ensuring that her patients not only feel good but stay warm.
What makes each hat even more special are the tiny, thoughtful details she adds. Larson incorporates small trinkets into the tassels—her favorite being a metal fish, a nod to her passion for fishing. She carefully selects high-quality yarn (admitting she’s a bit of a “yarn snob”) and even advises her patients on how to properly wash their hats to keep them looking their best.
Seeing her hats around the community brings Larson immense joy. “It’s heartwarming to see my patients wearing them. It means something to them, and that means everything to me,” she says.
Larson’s journey into behavioral health wasn’t a straight path. Originally a family nurse practitioner (FNP), she took on the challenge of pursuing two programs simultaneously—working toward both her FNP and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner degrees. As time went on, it became clear that behavioral health was where she was meant to be. At Riverwood, she has championed her psych patients, growing with the practice in an organic and meaningful way, helping it expand into a full behavioral health department that now serves even more patients in need.
One of the things Larson loves most about rural health is the ability to build strong, lasting connections with her patients. These relationships bring deep fulfillment but also great sorrow when patients pass. “The connection with each patient is very special,” she reflects.
Through her dedication, compassion, and a simple act of knitting, Larson gives back in a way that is both personal and profound. A small thing—just a hat—but to those who receive it, it’s a reminder that someone cares. And that, perhaps, is the warmest gift of all.