Warming up their needles

"See that big bag over there? It's a big bag of slippers," declared Cathi Picard, pointing across the room. "My husband and I just drove from Phoenix to L.A. and back again, and I knitted 22 pairs of slippers while he did all the driving."

Spread before her on a table was her knitting needles, in the midst of another pair.

"I'm on a slipper kick," the 70-year-old chortled.

A holiday break? Please.

After just donating 1,987 hand-knitted items to 14 local charities last month, members of the Knit Wits nonprofit are already warming up their digits churning out more to donate next Christmas season.

At the group's monthly meeting on Wednesday at the Lake City Senior Center, Coordinator Jan d'Arc said the knitters, who cobble their creations with donated yarn, could use some help.

"(Yarn) donations have been kind of sparse this last year," d'Arc admitted.

And, unsurprising with the recession, local shelters, food banks and children's charities are seeing more demand for knitted blankets, scarves, slippers, hats and mittens.

"Charities try not to ask for too much, but we still can't fill everything," d'Arc said.

Still, the roughly 30 members are up to the task.

As inveterate knitters shuffled into the senior center, they hovered with smiles and coos over the bags of yarn d'Arc had set to the side, some finding a seat immediately to get down to work with their needles.

Others unpacked their own bags stacked with creations brought from home, a table quickly filing with heaps of fuzzy blankets and sparkly winter wear.

"I had knitted stuff stacked this high before I came here (to Knit Wits). Now I can bring it all here," said member Lou Miller, holding her hand to her waist. "That's all I do. Sit and knit."

The nonprofit, about 15 years old, was created, after all, as an outlet for folks who love to knit but have satiated their friends and family with hand made gifts.

The Knit Wits' working meetings are just as much to benefit charity as the members, who pull up chairs to gab as their needles dance through patterns.

"I'm retired. I don't want to stay at home staring at my husband," said Tami Thompson, 57, after inspecting some knitted coasters with other members. "I have to chitter chat with women. This is my chance to do that."

Lois Holecek, a widow for 19 years, said the group gives her a reason to pick up her knitting needles, which comes in handy when she's snowed in.

"I do it in the summer, too, because I can't go out in the heat," said Holecek, 78. "It's a year-round project for me."

Yarn donations can be dropped off at the senior center at 1916 Lakewood Drive.

New member Rianne Christman has been excited to take advantage of the donated material, she said, because honing her knitting skills can get expensive.

The 33-year-old joined not only to help charities, she said, but also to keep knitting alive.

"I think it's important to pass that on, to not let crafts die, because so many crafts die with new generations," Christman said as she started work on a blue baby blanket. "It's a positive thing to spend your time on, and feel good about what you created."