(2.15.17) By Lindsey Smith – Every Tuesday, a small group of ladies who call themselves the Loosely Knit group, gather at Morningside College to make new knitted or crocheted items.
This group of women is run by Kathy Martin, who was the campus minister at Morningside College from 2005-2014. She started the group soon after she started working here, when her office was in Lewis Hall.
Martin says of the group’s beginnings, “I was the campus minister and we started with prayer shawls. Prayer shawls are usually a comfort to whoever is in need, whether it’s an illness or injury.”
The group often takes on different projects. After prayer shawls, the women made purple hats for shaken baby syndrome awareness, doll clothes for a member’s daughter, scarves for women at the Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (CSADV), and mats for shelter cats. They have also used leftover yarn to create scarves that they hung up behind the campus library so anyone could take one who was in need.
While the ladies like to do many projects for certain groups, they also like to gather just for fun and work on whatever personal project they feel like doing. Currently, Martin is focused on making hats, “At first I loved making prayer shawls, but they’re big and take time, so I like making hats because they’re easy.” Every member has their own personal preferences, some continue to make prayer shawls while others are working on sweaters.
Over the years, the group hasn’t had many college students, but recently a senior, Anna Garrett joined to crochet last semester.
Garrett is a double major in Business Administration and Spanish with a studio art minor but still finds time in her busy schedule to crochet every week. Garrett says she wishes other people her age would join the group but enjoys spending time with the older ladies of the group.
“I just like making new things and trying new stitches. I like being able to sit and chat and relax,” he said of the group.
Martin also likes spending time with the group, “It is a very relaxing comfortable group to hang out with.”
Both Martin and Garrett stressed the fact that they do teach anyone who is willing to learn. They always have extra knitting needles, patterns, and other knitting or crocheting related items.
As Garrett stated, “We’re friendly. We don’t bite, we aren’t scary. We teach and there’s no shame in coming once and not coming again.”
Loosely Knit meets from noon to one on Tuesdays in the Campus Ministry Offices in the lower level of the Olsen Student Center. Anyone can join, and you can come and go as you please, no experience necessary.
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