Fort Schuyler Magazine Fall 2021

KNITTING &

CROCHETING CLUB

E ach Monday evening, the Commandant of Cadets, to connect and create all things stitching. While they are bound by the desire to create handmade items with yarn, the group spins their needles for a special purpose. From September through early December, the Club participates in The Knit Before Christmas, a program with the Seaman’s Church Institute. The Institute’s Christmas members of the Knitting and Crocheting Club hook up at the home of Capt. Catie Hanft,

at Sea ministry is long-standing tradition in which donated items including handmade knitted scarfs, hats and other goods such as toiletries are gathered and send to seafarers and merchant mariners throughout the holiday season. “We joined The Knit Before Christmas five years ago and the Club works with that purpose in mind,” said Capt. Hanft, whose grandmother taught her to crochet with her fingers and no needle. She knits, crochets, and quilts and along with 1/C Cadet Ahdiyah

social benefits that contribute to wellbeing and quality of life (British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Feb. 2013). The student members – many of whom are in the Regiment of Cadets – concur, stating that the process of knitting and crocheting is “therapeutic” and serves as a “creative outlet.” They enjoy passing the time stitching, talking, bonding, sharing stories and watching Hallmark movies. The group is comprised of members who are more proficient in needle craft, and they assist those with little or no prior crocheting experience. Some students perfected their skills during the months that the New York state-wide pause was in effect. As a Club, their goal was to send at least one dozen knitted hats and scarfs by December to the Institute; a goal Capt. Haft and the Club confidently met one loop at a time.

Robley, teaches the members of the Club the art of crocheting, which is her favorite form of needle work. “The Club helps students to see Capt. Haft in a different light outside of her role in the Regiment and work with her in a fun way,” said Robley. Studies on knitting have highlighted the psychological and

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