Knitters and crocheters are encouraged to help the Lisbon Library and Southeast Linn Community Center to knit scarves and other items for veterans this fall.
Every Thursday from 9 to 10 a.m. knitters and crocheters can meet at SELCC to knit scarves for the Knit Your Bit program.
Knit Your Bit is a program run by the National World War II Museum which was started originally in 2006. More than 10,000 knitters and crocheters in all 50 states, according to the Knit Your Bit website, have participated in the program and created more than 50,000 scarves for 1,000 veterans’ centers, hospitals and service organizations across the country.
According to Lisbon library director Amy White, knitters will be contributing their scarves to the Knit Your Bit organization to be donated to veterans.
“The project is meant to reflect the communities of needle workers during WW II who knitted scarves, sweaters and scarves for soldiers,” White said.
Barb Geinzer, member of the Lisbon Library, is always on the lookout for a charitable project to donate knitting. She makes dozens of hats every Christmas to be given away in the community.
“We were looking for a larger project to be a part of and I mentioned that I had knitted scarves for Knit Your Bit because my mother and grandmother learned to knit during WWII and my father was a WWII veteran,” White said. “We thought it would be a good project for beginning through advanced knitters/crocheters.”
White said anyone who wants to assist with the project needs to bring a size 9 knitting needle or number 7 crochet hook and any yarn that is of worsted weight.
“We have lots of donated yarn and can provide needles and hooks to anyone who needs them to participate,” White said. “We will also have copies of the patterns used for the Knit Your Bit scarves.”
Those patterns can be found at https://www.nationalww2museum.org/programs/knit-your-bit.
Snacks will be provided at the Knit Your Bit sessions every Thursday morning through mid-November. The scarves will be collected and mailed to the National World War II Museum in early November.
“If anyone wants to knit for the project but is unable to attend the knitting group, they can bring their completed scarves to the Lisbon Library to be included,” White said.