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Andrea Wong (second from left) of Dublin, Ohio oversees the production of baby caps at the Temptations knit shop. |
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Knitter Uses Gift to Teach Others
Andrea Wong of Dublin, Ohio, has been knitting and crocheting since she was seven. Now she is an instructor at the local Temptations knit shop and her gift for knitting has become a gift that is helping save newborn babies around the world.
“I started knitting as a hobby but it has taken off as a career,” she said. “Because I thought I should share this gift, I decided to take off one day a month and do knitting for free.”
The mother of two was searching the Web for free patterns for hats and Save the Children’s Website was the first one she found. The Caps to the Capital project was an instant inspiration. “Not only was there the free pattern, but a whole program was ready for me,” she said.
The first Saturday of every month, Andrea now meets at the knit shop with five to ten women, novice and experienced knitters alike, to oversee the production of warm baby caps. “People bring scraps of yarn because it’s a great use for leftovers,” she said. The amount in a standard yarn ball can make three caps. The classes are promoted in the shop’s regular newsletter.
Each session produces ten to 30 caps made of soft “baby yarn,” washable acrylic or wool blend, and each cap will go to the White House with a note urging the president to do more to help newborns survive worldwide.
“Everybody is so proud to know exactly who they are helping and what good it is doing,” Andrea said. “It’s a great project.” | 
