Crochet the stress away – Laconia church's scarf project sets new record

LACONIA — There’s something about a scarf in cold weather, the just-scratchy-enough yarn bottling in the warmth around your neck, combined with the thought that someone took their time to create your comfort. For about five years, a group of women have been sharing the gift of a scarf by placing scores of them outside, for anyone to take.

Barbara Bender and Jenny Hoppe were two of the first people to visit the lawn of the Laconia Congregational Church on Friday morning to pick out a scarf. They missed the event last year, and didn’t want to miss out again.

“We got up early and we came down just for this,” Bender said. “I think it’s a great idea,” Hoppe added.

The group responsible for the scarves is called Stitches of Love. It’s a ministry of the church, but the idea didn’t come from Laconia Congregational. The initiative, which they call “Scarves in the Park,” was inspired by a news segment that member Tammy Emond saw about a similar project of the Longmeadow Congregational Church, of Auburn.

Ruth Gallot, the pastor at Longmeadow, said her church has been creating scarves to give away for about six years, and she figures that they’ve created and distributed more than 2,000 scarves so far. But, she said, it wasn’t her idea, either. Gallot, who isn’t a knitter or crocheter herself, said she got the idea from a church in the Pacific Northwest and suggested it as a form of service for some homebound church members who wanted to find a way to help others.

It took off, Gallot said, and she figured that it wasn’t a coincidence that the growth of the scarf project came during the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. When neighbors are arguing with one another, it feels good to knit for a stranger, she said.

“It’s a simple project, and it makes a difference,” Gallot said. It doesn’t solve the problem of homelessness or economic disenfranchisement, but it helps the knitter get through the day and the recipient get through the winter. “They themselves find comfort and relaxation from the project and they know that this project is going to make a difference in someone’s life,” she said.

Emond, part of the Stitches of Love in Laconia, said the group has been meeting for about 10 years, knitting or crocheting baby blankets for an American Indian reservation in North Dakota, patriotic shawls for residents of the NH Veterans Home, and blankets for people who were in the hospital. About four years ago, she heard about the project in Auburn, and she brought the idea to Laconia.

Sandy Brallier, coordinator of the Laconia group, said the effort has attracted textile crafters from the broader community.

“We have people in this group who are not church members, but who are really drawn to the creativeness and the community,” Brallier said. Some of their scarves are created by people they never see – the scarves just show up in the mail. This year, the local club produced 186 scarves, more than they have in years past. “During this pandemic, a lot of people have been home and knitting is a great comfort activity. And it’s something tangible that anyone can do to share love through a scarf.”

Janet Janke is one of the members who converts skeins into scarves with surprising speed. She joined Stitches of Love when she moved from Long Island, New York, to Laconia about 10 years ago.

“I have been doing this for years. It’s a form of relaxation,” Janke said, calling it a form of therapy for her, something that calms her during stressful times. She often listens to country music while she knits, and sometimes she just knits in silence. “I enjoy it, and I enjoy giving it to the people,” she said.

Gallot said she’s tried to learn how to join in the scarf-making, but both knitting and crocheting continue to elude her. However, she can see why the project continues to attract “They want to serve, but they don’t always know what to do,” Gallot said. If they can make a scarf, though, that’s a source of comfort that they can give to someone. “I think people want to make a difference.”