Students are able to relax while knitting for a good cause at the All You Knit is Love event.
Program Board’s Knitting at 9 has partnered with Student Life and Volunteer Services to donate knitted and sewn items to the Kids Care Center at Covenant Hospital.
Interested students can still join the cause as two more events are scheduled for Tuesday, March 25 and Friday, March 28.
Knitting at 9 is a weekly program held Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Students knit in the Student Life conference room while eating snacks and watching television.
Social work sophomore Marianna Cuevas, who came up with the volunteer idea, said it is a good opportunity for students with similar interests to get to know each other and relax.
“It just brings you down a little bit after a hectic Monday,” Cuevas said.
Communication junior Molly Starr helped to start the knitting group and worked with Cuevas to organize the volunteer program.
“With the help of Student Life and Volunteer Services, we got everything together and had a great turnout for our first night,” Starr said.
Students do not need to have prior knitting experience because group members help each other learn. Many students started making scarves while Starr and Cuevas are working on baby blankets.
“We’d like to make some hats, socks (and other items), so we’re hoping to see some more experienced knitters next week,” Starr said.
Amber Sobleskey, a communication junior, has been looking for more opportunities to volunteer around campus.
“You don’t often hear about college students knitting and donating such items to a hospital,” Sobleskey said. “I thought it was a very original event to plan for the student body and would love to do something like that again.”
About 12 students attended the first event, and Cuevas would like each person to donate an item they make. If students are not able to attend the meeting times, they are able to check out the knitting materials provided.
Special education senior Kayla Rudy also attended the event and likes that they are donating handmade items.
“I love making things because it’s more personable. Just like when you’re on the other end of the receiving line, receiving handmade gifts always seems to have a lot more meaning behind it than something you can just pick up off of the store shelf,” Rudy said.
Starr said that the event gives students the opportunity to both socialize and give back to the community.
“Since the start of Knitting at 9, we have been wanting to do something like this where we donate items we have made, and we’re very excited to finally go through with it,” Starr said.
Contact Marianna Cuevas at [email protected] for more details about the upcoming meeting times.