Krafty Krafters make fun wherever they go
Pat Reddy, left, and Samuel Jepsen joke to one other and talk about books while Reddy works on the start of an afghan and Jepsen shows pictures of some of his past cross stitching projects on his iPod that he's completed with Krafty Krafters. The creative group meets weekly at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Hayden Senior Center on Lancaster Road to marvel at each other's work.
JOSA SNOW/Press
“This looks like my mind,” said Nancy Rimsa, Krafty Krafters president. The Krafty Krafters meet at 1 p.m. every Friday in the Hayden Senior Center on Lancaster Road. The group creates crafts to give away and donate. The group is a chance to socialize and share creative ideas for the community and fellowship.
Connie Klimes makes hanging crocheted plants for her daughter and her college friends at Krafty Krafters. Group meetings are at 1 p.m. on Fridays in the Hayden Senior Center, at its new location on Lancaster Road.
Krafty Krafters members are getting used to their new location – the carpets were just shampooed Thursday.
So when they met Friday they were pushed into a back corner of the Hayden Senior Center, now located at the Calem Shrine Public Event Center on Lancaster Avenue.
But they have just as much fun as they did when meetings were at the old senior center location on Government Way.
“It’s our happy place,” said Pat Reddy, a Krafty member.
Membership took a hit when the senior center closed to relocate. Since it reopened in May, the roughly 15 current members are as busy and happy as ever. Anyone is invited to come to the weekly meetings at 1 p.m. Fridays.
“Some people think you have to be a certain age,” said Connie Klimes. “But there’s a lot of younger people getting into crochet.”
Klimes is currently crocheting an afghan a friend didn’t finish, but she also makes crocheted houseplants for her daughter and her college friends.
The Krafty Krafters meet to create things either to donate, give away or keep.
“We gossip, too,” said Nancy Rimsa, president of the crafting club.
They make things like mittens, afghans, scarves, gloves and hats and give them away either to friends or groups like the senior center, Silver Angels and hospice.
“You can always find a place to give to,” Rimsa said.
They also have a bazaar every November to sell crafts and raise money for the senior center.
Samuel Jepsen cross stitches birth announcements and animal memorials for friends in his church community, and elaborate portraits of animals to sell at the bazaar. His grandmother taught him to cross stitch when he was 2 years old.
“A couple of years ago, I lost my grandmother,” he said. “I have so much respect for these ladies because each of them reminds me of her in a way.”
Jepsen joined the Krafters in 2018, when he was 39, and he loves the social aspect and shared community. His father builds frames for his cross stitching, and Jepsen has them matted to give away or sell.
“I come here because otherwise I wouldn’t have a social life,” said Rimsa. “It’s the wonder of old age.”
Rimsa untangles a long gold crochet thread from a tangled mess donated by a Krafty member.
“This looks like my mind,” she said. “I wish I had a project to work on so I didn’t have to keep messing with this mess.”
Krafty Krafters takes donations of anything from unfinished projects, material, yarn and other supplies to keep the group active.
It’s a spirited bunch which meets to talk about books, fashion and ideas, some silly and many are fun.
“What color was your hair before it went gray?” Reddy said.
“It was just brown,” Rimsa said.
“I used to have five aunts, who I grew up thinking were all redheads,” Klimes said. “Then it turns out they all just used the same hair dye.”
Krafty Krafting is $1 for members of the senior center and $2 for non-members.
