Inside a craft room at The Legacy Willow Bend retirement community, a group of women sat around a table, yarn in hand. They’re part of the Legacy Knit and Crochet Club, a group that’s been quietly giving back to the community for 15 years.
“How many blankets have you done this year?” Karen Kurzman asked another woman at the table, who was knitting a pastel baby blanket.
“I do scarves, Ailsa does hats,” she added.
“This first row is always so slow,” said Ailsa Kull as she counted stitches in her red yarn. “You know you wouldn’t believe how many kids don’t come to school in the winter because they haven’t got warm clothes.”
Everything the club makes — from hats and scarves to blankets and dolls — is donated to schools, churches and community organizations across North Texas.
“Oh, it makes you feel great,” said Mary Bishop, looping yarn on a knitting loom. “It’s a wonderful thing to be doing. It’s kind of addictive!”
“So as I’m putting this together, I’m always thinking about who picks this hat, who will get this hat, where will they wear it,” another member added.
Since its founding, the Legacy Knit and Crochet Club has donated more than 50,000 handmade items.
“I just thought, why are people just sitting around doing nothing at senior living places?” said Carol Sobol, a volunteer who started the club. “Everybody is making their children or grandchildren 50-million hats or scarves, so now what can they do?”
The group gets help from other residents at The Legacy Midtown Park, who make pom poms for hats, along with volunteers from Bank of America’s legal department.
“It’ll go right here at the top of the hat,” said volunteer Tina Green, twisting yarn into a fluffy pom pom. “We actually had some of the guys in our department participate and made a pom pom, and they did very well!”
On Monday, Dec. 8, the club will host its annual donation giveaway. More than a dozen community organizations will visit The Legacy Willow Bend, where tables lined with donations will stretch through the hallways, ready to be distributed to people in need.
“I guess I just want them to know that somebody cares,” one club member said.
If you have unused or extra yarn to donate, The Legacy Willow Bend is accepting contributions.