Keep your Knitwits about you
BETHANY BLITZ/Press Peggy Leupp of Coeur d’Alene, left, and Candy Locarnie of Hayden chat while knitting blankets during this month’s Knitwit meeting. All the items members crochet and knit are donated to local nonprofits.
Yarn of all colors and textures was strewn about the main room of the Lake City Center Wednesday as the Knitwits sat down for their monthly meeting.
The group of about 30 women gets right down to business, using knitting and crochet needles to loop yarn into blankets, hats, scarves and baby booties. One woman even makes stuffed animals.
Each meeting, members bring in their finished items and start a new one. The gloves, blankets, baby clothes and other goods are donated to 13 local nonprofits including Head Start and Panhandle Health.
“I knit all the time,” said Linda Jo Park, the Knitwits’ information coordinator, who has been with the group for 10 years. “There are only so many sweaters my family can handle. Now I knit for people who need what I make.”
Park said her story is similar to most group members — they want to continue their craft but don’t have anyone to give it to, so they donate it.
Each December, the group makes one massive donation to its local charities. The group’s coordinator, Jan D’Arc, said the group donates around 2,400 handmade items each year.
The Knitwits group is for people who already know how to knit or crochet. To learn, D’Arc suggests taking a class at the Kroc Center or a local library.
“We are not in the business of teaching people,” D’Arc said. “It’s just too much.”
But, at the Knitwit meetings, people share patterns and techniques and there is also yarn and various-sized needles for people to use.
As always, the Knitwits are looking for more members and yarn donations.
For more information about how to join or give yarn, contact D’Arc at (208) 772-4470.