Busy Needles helps others

Sunlight streamed through the windows of an upstairs room at Northpointe Retirement Community. It bathed the group of women gathered around a table in golden light. It glinted and flashed off the crochet hooks that moved rapidly in their hands.

Each Friday afternoon the women gather to crochet or knit. Northpointe activities director, Diane French, christened the group, “The Busy Needles.” She said,

“The group started with two women, but now eight to 10 meet here each week.” The women are hard at work on an ambitious goal. “We want to have 90 blankets done for the Washington State Veterans Home, by Christmas,” said member Helen McMillan.

Founding member Beatrice Bartholet started the group a year ago.

“I knew there were a lot of ladies here that knit or crochet,” she said. Instead of concentrating on projects for family members, the ladies decided to use their skills to benefit the community. Their first project was baby booties and blankets for the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery.

The project for the Veterans Home came about in a serendipitous manner. McMillan attends a Pearl Harbor Survivors luncheon each month. One month, Vina Mikkelsen mentioned that she’d like to gather gifts to deliver to the Veterans Home for Christmas. McMillan told her if she could buy yarn for them, the Busy Needles would be happy to make lap blankets.

Mikkelsen told Father George at the Fairchild Chapel about the project, and he was able to donate $200 for the purchase of the yarn.

That’s a lot of yarn. Loretta Miller knows because it’s stored in her room at Northpointe. McMillan said, “Loretta is up at three in the morning working on blankets!” Miller just shrugged and smiled. “If I can’t sleep, I might as well knit,” she said. She’s already completed over 30 blankets toward their project.

Bartholet held up her work in progress.

“I’ve knitted two panels of this hot pink so far,” she said. “I need five to make a blanket.” She paused and grinned broadly. “If not I’ll have a scarf.”

The door opened and the senior member of the group, Florence Hart, arrived accompanied by family members. Hart was too tired to work on the project with the group, but she wanted to greet her friends. They started reminiscing about Hart’s recent birthday.

“I asked her what she wanted,” said French. “She replied, ‘I want an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini.’ ” The group around the table giggled. “So we made her one,” French continued. “This year she asked for a Chippendale dancer.” Hart will be 109 in July.

McMillan said, “Knitting and crocheting are lost arts.” The other women nodded. “Our children and grandchildren don’t realize what it was like when we were young,” Bartholet said. And stories flew around the table.

“We handmade diapers out of flannel,” said McMillan.

“My, yes, and washed them by hand,” someone else added.

While they talked their fingers flew. Bartholet said, “I can’t just sit and do nothing.” Mary Chandler agreed. “This keeps my hands busy and it’s good for arthritis.”

And their busy hands tell their own stories. The creases, wrinkles, and prominent veins speak volumes about hard work and sacrifice. The hands now dappled with age and lit by the soft spring sun are still contributing to the community around them.

“A group like this is great,” McMillan said, “because we can sit and yak and feel great about accomplishing something.”