PORT TOWNSEND — Local crafters are nearing their goal of 100 warm hats for Port Townsend’s homeless population, one of many charity knitting projects they’ve worked on in the past year.
The group was organized roughly a year ago by Leslie Seaton and hosted by Bazaar Girls yarn shop owners Numahka Swan and Kerri Hartman at their store on Quincy Street.
Seaton, a frequent visitor to the Bazaar Girls yarn shop and a participant in the shop’s free group craft events, pitched the idea and promised to organize the whole thing.
“We were really grateful Leslie kind of took this on,” Hartman said.
While the group has tackled a number of projects, Hartman and Swan said this one is near to their hearts.
“With our location, we have a front-row seat to the homeless situation,” Swan said. “This one is personal for us.”
Seaton organized the first project a little more than a year ago, and a group of crafters knitted more than 100 hats to send to Syrian refugees. Since then, they have taken on roughly one project per month, alternating with projects for local, national or international organizations.
Currently, the group has nearly 85 hats knitted and is hoping to hit 100 at today’s group knitting session. The hats will then be distributed to the Boiler Room, the Winter Homeless Shelter and Working Image.
“We’re planning on sending them in at the end of this month,” said Hartman. “If we get more after that, we’ll just walk them over. We’re right between the homeless shelter and the Boiler Room, so we can easily get them there.”
The group meets the third Sunday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bazaar Girls, 126 Quincy St., and today is the last day for this particular project.
The next project for March, April and May will be knitting blankets for Project Linus, which provides blankets for critically ill children of all ages.
“This one has a few more instructions, so we’re encouraging people to come down and get information this weekend,” Hartman said.
In June and July, they’ll be taking on a particularly difficult project for Knitted Knockers: knitting post-surgical prosthetics for breast cancer survivors; August and September will be an open call for any knitted toys for local children in need; and October, November and December will be hats, gloves and scarves for local people in need of some warmth in the winter.
All of the 2017 projects are posted on the Bazaar Girls’ website, www.bazaargirls.com, and on its Facebook page.
While the projects are mostly supported by local crafters — more than 20 people have participated so far — Swan said they often get hats brought over or mailed to them from people on Whidbey Island.
“These projects show that crafters are serious,” said Hartman. “Like the pussy hat project, it’s something we can do.”
“I think a lot of people feel helpless and this is something proactive,” Swan said. “It’s just our way of making the world a better place.”
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
