Saratoga News

Cover Story

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Otis may not look too interested, but Yarndogs owner Deborah Panighetti (left) and Kimberly Cox are all smiles as they create knitted items to donate to charity.

Stitch in Time Give Too

Charity knitters help children, adults when they need it the most

By Marianne Lucchesi Hamilton

Her needles move together rhythmically, but Margaret McCartney's mind strays a bit. She's no longer focused on the precise stitches her hands have practiced for more than 65 years, or her yarn's metamorphosis into sweater or hat. Instead, she thinks of the garment's future owner--often, someone she's never met.

As one of the South Bay's legion of "charity knitters," McCartney knows her efforts will be greatly appreciated by those in need. And that, she says, is all the incentive she requires to keep on stitching.

McCartney works part time at Yarndogs in Los Gatos, where charity knitters can be found any day of the week, hard at work on their latest projects. Since 2002, McCartney has knitted 40 blankets for Project Linus, a New Jersey-based organization that produces handmade blankets and clothing for fragile newborns. Along with the blankets, McCartney has crafted 54 "preemie caps" for premature babies, plus countless scarves, hats and sweaters for children and adults. In addition to Project Linus, McCartney knits with Charity Crafters, who make caps for the area's neonatal nurseries. The group also knits children's sweaters and blankets for the Georgia Travis Center for the homeless; Valley Medical Center and O'Connor Hospital benefit from the knitters' efforts as well.

As soon as McCartney met Yarndogs' owner Deborah Panighetti, also a committed supporter of charitable causes, both say they instantly sensed in the other a kindred spirit. Panighetti opened her shop in April of 2005; one month later she and her customers were immersed in their first charity-knitting project.

Says Panighetti, "I had a friend who died of cancer who'd been quite a knitter. Her husband didn't know what to do with all of her yarn after her death, so he brought it to the shop. I asked my customers to figure out the best way to use the yarn, and honor my friend. We ended up knitting blankets for cancer patients. Soon after, a tradition was born."

Now Panighetti sets aside the last Sunday of each month for charity knitting. Participants are free to create any item they wish, as long as the pieces are appropriate for their recipients. For example, hats that will be given to cancer patients going through hair loss related to chemotherapy must be very soft, Panighetti says. If the yarns aren't quite downy enough, she donates the hats to other charities, such as Sacred Heart Community Services. Her customers also make baby items for distribution to young mothers in need. "We encourage anyone to stop by anytime to knit, and make use of the yarns and patterns people have donated," Panighetti says.

An avid knitter herself, Panighetti says she keeps a special mantra in mind while working her needles. "I keep repeating the words 'courage, health and survival,' " she says. The words are particularly apropos for Panighetti, who directs many of her shop's donations to cancer-related organizations. Panighetti, who will again take part in this year's Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (her seventh trek in a row), has lost several friends to cancer. One, also a close friend of her sister's, was near death when Panighetti began knitting a blanket, hoping it would keep their bedridden friend warm in her final days. "I didn't finish it in time, so I sent it to my sister," Panighetti recalls. "She called me and said, 'When I wrapped the blanket around me, I could feel the love, concern and prayers that went into it.' It made me feel really good to hear that."

Such kind thoughts are inevitably woven into all of the items produced by local charity knitters. In January, Terri Bergandi read a newspaper account of Campbell resident Warren Hardy, a soldier who'd just returned from Iraq with a severe brain injury. On top of his monumental physical challenges, Hardy's wife Gina had just given birth to triplets. The arrival of the three tiny boys brought the Hardys' offspring to four, as they already had a 3-year-old daughter.

Bergandi, who runs the training department for the Art Docents of Los Gatos, had been knitting for a couple of years, having been introduced to the craft at Knitting Arts in Saratoga. A chance "art night" at the shop led to a couple of lessons with owner Jan Hurwitz, one of the West Valley's most prolific promoters of charity knitting. Soon, Bergandi was hooked. When she read of the Hardys' plight, she enlisted her new knitting buddies to come to the family's aid.

"Two of us have twins--mine are 12, and students at Fisher Middle School," says Bergandi. "We started thinking and talking about what it was like when our babies were newborns, and the amount of work they required. We couldn't imagine how Warren and Gina were coping, with three infants! We decided to knit caps for all of the babies. Of course we couldn't ignore their little girl; we knitted hats and scarves for her as well."

In addition to the handmade items, Bergandi and her group raided Costco's baby department for diapers, bottles and other necessities, and assembled an enormous care package. Their generosity attracted the attention of ABC News, then doing a story about news anchor Bob Woodruff's own recovery from a head trauma. Bergandi and the knitters were filmed presenting their gifts to the Hardys; the segment aired in January.

"We certainly didn't do it for the publicity," Bergandi says. "We all just kept thinking about what that family must be facing, trying to keep three little guys fed, bathed and cared for, and we wanted to help them in some small way. To be able to do something nice for the Hardys gave us all a very warm glow."

Elyce Elconin-Goldberg was a part of the group that assisted the Hardys. Many people would view Goldberg's life as deserving of charity. But Goldberg, who was born with cystic fibrosis, chooses to focus on the needs of others. Her mother taught her to knit three years ago, and since then Goldberg has been a devoted stitcher. Even on the worst days, when her illness dictates three or four grueling, hour-long pulmonary therapy treatments, she picks up her needles and thinks of someone else.

"I call it my 'nervous knitting,' " Goldberg explains. "When I'm having my treatments, I do 'knit one, breathe one,' and just try to make the best of a bad situation. I've found that knitting actually relaxes my airways, which is kind of an amazing benefit."

Rather than fixate on her own challenges, Goldberg creates hats and fingerless gloves for the homeless. In memory of her mother, she also plans to knit chemo caps.

"As I knit, I hope the items will keep the wearer warm," she says. "I fantasize about where the piece will travel, and who will get it ... and I hope it helps them."

When her health permits, Goldberg joins the "Knitzvah" group at the Jewish Community Center, and drops into Hurwitz's shop for some communal stitching. She calls Knitting Arts--which features a comfy living room area in the front, and a big worktable with additional couches and seating in the back--a "very cozy place to knit."

Hurwitz makes her shop available free to any group wishing to donate its finished articles to charity. Among those who consider the store their headquarters are the "Teen & Tween" knitters, who meet every Friday afternoon; the Knitters for Peace, a group of Symantec employees who produce blankets for the Afghans for Afghans project; and Hurwitz's own Good Works Group, whose items created for Hurricane Katrina victims were delivered through Oprah Winfrey's "Angel Network."

Hurwitz offers discounts on yarn and knitting supplies for every group, and encourages all of her customers to think of others in their knitting. Her website proudly features one of her most notable success stories--Nikkolas Stroughter, who hopes to send 100 scarves to the Red Scarf Project by the end of this year.

At 8 years old (and male), Nikkolas isn't the typical knitter. But his enthusiasm and generosity are in keeping with those who share his hobby, says his mom, Marie Stroughter, who hosts a charity knitting group at Knitting Arts, where she is employed.

"I think knitters tend to be really nice people who are quick to do things for others," Stroughter observes. "Nikkos was diagnosed at the age of 3 with Type-1 diabetes, so he's been home-schooled. Since he's always been fascinated by my knitting, he decided to do a charitable craft project. He chose the Red Scarf Project, which supports foster children who are 'aging out' of the system, and want to go to college."

Each year the RS Project sends these college-bound youngsters a Valentine's Day care package containing a cheery red scarf. Nikkolas has published a blog describing his involvement with charity knitting and the RS Project, and encourages all visitors to participate.

Thanks to his enthusiasm, even his father is getting into the act. "I stopped by Knitting Arts for the Friday afternoon knit, and Nikkolas was showing everyone his work," says Sebastian Stroughter. "I asked him to teach me, and did about a half-row. Luckily, Marie came over and helped me out. I really want to do one of the scarves. But I'll probably work with some practice yarn first!"

An online portal called "The Daily Knitter" lists no fewer than 30 websites where interested crafters can volunteer their talents. From Hats for the Homeless to Caps for the Cure, and the aptly named Warmth Around the World, all of the organizations are eager to offer willing souls an alternative to zoning out in front of the tube. West Valley-area residents also can stop by Knitting Arts and Yarndogs and join the charity knitting movement.

"It's important to be a part of the community, and to get involved and give back," says Panighetti. "That's how I want to live. You have to do as much as you can."

Yarndogs is located at 151 E. Main St. in Los Gatos, call 408.399.1909 or visit www.yarndogs.com; Knitting Arts is located at 14554 Big Basin Way in Saratoga, call 408.867.5010 or visit www.goknit.com.