Needle Nut

I have been a little busy lately. Probably a good thing, as I do need to keep myself busy otherwise I will start to overanalyze things like I typically do. And then, well … that just gets me in trouble. (I swear, there is something to be said about thinking “too much.”) However, this time around, I’m keeping myself busy is for a good cause.

My Newest “Nephew” Jakobi

Last year, a co-worker and I read an article in our work newsletter that talked about a couple of other employees in another one of our offices who knitted and crocheted quite a few baby hats and donated them to a local hospital’s Neonatal and Special Care Nursery units. Since the two of us knit, we thought that the following year we would try and do the same thing.

And over the course of the year, we did forget about it. It wasn’t until the most recent events concerning my nephew, Liam, that I once again remembered our plan. Since we had quite a few knitters and crocheters in our office, we decided to include them in our plans as well. We also thought that instead of limiting our project to premie and newborn hats, we would extend it to chemo caps for those kids in the Pediatric Oncology floors.

Since presenting this idea to our other co-workers a few weeks ago, we have received an overwhelmingly warm response. We had such a great response that we’ve even designated our lunch time on Mondays to work on our projects and to get tips or exchange patterns for different designs. (We’re a pretty big group in our cafeteria that our group has been given the nickname “Needle Nuts.”) And as of this past week, we have well over 20 knitted or crocheted premie hats and chemo caps in a variety of different colors and styles. It’s been like Christmas for me every day, as there is always a new item added to the box next to my desk.

“The Therapeutic Blanket Project”

Doing this project has become therapeutic for me… especially given the fact that I’m actually knitting hats for babies that won’t ever be my own. I always thought it was ironic that I was a knitter. After all, there’s a common misnomer that knitters were either grandmothers or mothers who would knit things for babies or young children. And here I was, the childless wonder.

I started knitting a few years ago simply as a diversion. And when I found out that my SIL was pregnant, I knew that I was going to knit a blanket and hat & booties for this child, even though I knew it would just about kill me. But I finished that project (unofficially known as the “therapeutic blanket project”), and I felt really good about doing it too. (It’s just too bad that Liam never got to use them.) After that, I went on to knit a newborn hat this summer for my cousin in Calgary who was due in September.

And now … I’m heading up our holiday needle craft project at work. To be doing that is a big step for me. For so long I felt so down on myself (and there are still quite a few days that I do) and quite honestly, clinically depressed. Every literature I ever read about trying to snap out of depression was to do something for others; the theory being that if you helped others less fortunate, you wouldn’t feel so down on yourself. And it’s a really good theory. However, try telling that to someone who could barely take care of herself, let alone help someone else out. Nearly next to impossible, I tell you.

But now that I have a little more energy, I do feel that I am able to help others out a little more. And that’s a good thing … for this Needle Nut.


The Box of Hats Thus Far

0 Replies to “Needle Nut”

  1. This really touched my heart.

    I can’t do baby knits right now. I’ve tried to do it for charity, but I can’t manage.

  2. Hi! Its a great project! Just as soon as I get my queue of baby projects done I plan on joining the Linus Project. I would love to learn to knit but I’ve been doing crochet for almost 20 years and I don’t have any one to teach me.

    Thanks for dropping by my blog and leavin a comment 😀

  3. How darling. And very strong of you. Even looking at baby clothes is hard for me — I don’t think I’d be able to make them right now!

  4. You SHOULD be proud of yourself, dammit!
    To be heading up such a big project on top of your regular workload is a huge deal anyway; but for someone who’s gone through all you’ve gone through to do this, well, all I have to say is, you’re a lot stronger than you think you are.

    Keep knitting, Needle Nut!

  5. When my good friend’s son died at 6 months old from SIDS (after being born at 20 weeks and surviving his long journey in the NICU, she also knitted hats for the preemies in the NICU. Doing that helped her through her pain, allowed her to move on with her life. There is something to be said about doing charitable works for others. It warms the heart and the soul, and helps you heal.

    You go, girl! When you’re feeling down, remember how awesome you are.

  6. Thank you to everyone that’s posted. It really has been a good thing for me to do this … but know that it has taken me three long years just to get to this point. Let alone ten very long years where it doesn’t hurt so bad to even look at any baby-related things. And there are still some days where the pain still hits me square in the chest. But each day is a new day, so I’m trying to take things in stride.

    And here’s another project update … we are now on our second box of hats. A big Hoo-ah to all our Needle Nuts!

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