RSVP Volunteers ‘Knit It All’ to Keep People Warm During the Chilly Months

I recently spent a delightful morning with RSVP Knit-It-Alls program volunteers, including the Northaven Handcrafters. The group has been knitting, crocheting, sewing, and quilting for the past 50 years, and they donate their creations to local charitable organizations such as Solid Ground. 

Some members of the group gather weekly for conversation and craft at Northaven, an affordable housing community for seniors in Seattle, while others prefer to craft on their own. 

Northaven Chairperson Nada Jacobsen has nurtured many handcrafters while knitting items and tracking and organizing their donations. “I sat at Nada’s knee and learned [the craft of knitting],” was a common refrain from group members. “I can teach. That is part of giving and generosity,” says Nada. 

For these women, handcrafting skills were typically handed down from mothers and grandmothers or taught in home economics classes at school. 

“My mother gave me my first ball of yarn at seven years old,” Nada says. “My mother-in-law had one of the last Singer treadle machine models, and my mother bought one of the first electric Singer models. She had a sewing store on Vashon Island.”

Nancy recalls her mother trying to teach her to sew: “I ran the needle through my finger during the first lesson. (That was the last lesson!) I learned sewing in home economics. Then I learned to knit and crochet. The draw for me was the lush yarn and fabric, not the craft.” 

Linda’s first craft was knitting: “I took a class and zoomed on from there. In the 1990s and 2000s, I learned about other countries’ different knitting styles, like Fair Isle sweaters.” 

Northaven Handcrafters use donated yarn to fashion hats, regular and tube cowl scarves, and booties with double-knit soles. Linda particularly enjoys crocheting cowl scarves, because they are quick and simple to make, don’t require fasteners, and are useful to everyone to keep necks warm.

Some wee, sweet, knitted items are ready to keep small humans warm (photo by Gwen Campbell). 

 

Susan enjoys knitting animals such as small cats using scrap material left over from a toy business she had with her mother. The animals are sold at the Handcrafters’ annual charitable bazaar at Northaven, the proceeds of which are donated to local nonprofits. Many Northaven residents are also proud owners of these cats! 

The Northaven Handcrafters donated 158 pieces to RSVP Knit-It-Alls in April, and they have 14 bags of completed items ready for donation. All are made of synthetic yarn, which is durable, hypoallergenic, and easy to care for and keep clean. 

I also had a lovely conversation with Lynette Mattarocci, an independent King County knitter and RSVP Knit-It-Alls volunteer. She always knits with her brindle dachshund by her side, and sometimes with her friend Phyllis. She buys some of her yarn and receives donated yarn from her children and church friends. 

Lynette has crocheted hats for over 20 years, taking about five hours to make each hat. A few years ago, her 10-year-old granddaughter got a Knifty Knitter loom. When she saw how it could be used, Lynette taught herself to use it. Now it only takes her two hours to create a hat on the Knifty Knitter. She never tires of knitting hats and created 521 Some wee, sweet, knitted items are ready to keep small humans warm (photo by Gwen Campbell). of them in 2020 alone. Her hats are one-size-fits-all: The yarn and loom she uses make her hats stretchy to fit the heads of children and adults. 

Growing up, she also learned to do embroidery, crocheting, and sewing. She sewed clothing for her children and made rugs and quilts for them. 

Lynette has a long history of volunteerism. She enjoyed volunteering at both the Kent Senior Activity Center and the local food bank for over 15 years until the pandemic ended that activity. Today she volunteers in person at her church. She sets up the church sanctuary for services, waters the plants, and provides hospitality. “If you have nothing to do for yourself, do something for someone else,” she says. 

Prior to the pandemic, RSVP received approximately 2,200-3,300 knitted/crocheted donations annually, and since 2020, it’s been closer to 1,200. About 50 volunteers support RSVP Knit-It-Alls by knitting/ crocheting items or tagging and organizing them for distribution. 

Recipients welcome the handcrafted hats, gloves, and scarves. Here are a few notes of appreciation: 

“Dear incredible team of knitters, thank you so much for taking the time to create so many wonderful hats, gloves, and scarves for our families! “

The moms and kids all commented on how warm, cute, and soft each item was. They were so excited to wear them! We really appreciate everything you all do. 

“We wish you could see the joy on everyone’s faces as we hand them out. You are all truly talented! 😊” ~SOLID GROUND’S BROADVIEW SHELTER & TRANSITIONAL HOUSING 

“Including these lovely handmade hats and scarves in our clients’ gift bags brings an extra bit of warmth to their winter season, and we’re so grateful to all of you for making this possible!” ~JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE

MORE INFORMATION

Do you enjoy knitting or crocheting? RSVP Knit-It-Alls volunteers knit and crochet throughout the year, creating warm winter clothing for families with low incomes and/or people experiencing homelessness in Seattle/King County. Solid Ground distributes the items to people we serve and to other nonprofits for their participants. Individual volunteers and groups are welcome! Contact Carol-Ann Smith, Solid Ground Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@solid-ground.org if you’re interested! 

This article appeared in the RSVP "Experience in Action" newsletter and is courtesy of Solid-Ground.org.

Here is a link to the full newsletter: Fall-2024-EIA-WEB.pdf