Monday, May 4, 2009

Knit-A-Cap Project


I recently received a letter from the principal of Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School in Bloomfield, New Mexico. Enclosed were pictures of hats that her school had received from the Knit-A-Cap program. This is always an exciting time. This is when I get to see the faces of kids wearing the hats that I have knitted throughout the year for the project. I know the pictures did not transfer very well from the paper to computer but I think you can still see the smiles on the kids faces. I wrote on my blog last year about this project in the December 6th post. All of the kids who receive hats from this project live on reservations or attend Native American schools somewhere in the United States, including Alaska. Over the past six years I have recieved many letters from students and teachers who write to thank me for the hats. Many of these kids would never get a hat any other way. There are so many groups requesting hats that I have never sent them to the same school twice. The theory behind the hat project is that when kids have their ears covered in the winter they get less ear infections which means fewer absences from school. This will ensure that the basics are learned and give a good start to the kids education. There are so many projects out there but this one is one that I can make time for. Some years there are more hats than others but I always try to have at least one boxful which is about sixty hats. Some years I have had well over 200. My sister Jane Ellen last year had almost 400 and the way she is going this year she is almost there already. We ship them out every August so they can get to the kids before it starts to get cool. Just writing this I think I need to go cast on for a hat.

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