In May of 2018 during a Bulldog Block in Señora Carreira’s Spanish classroom, Lily Govoni, Class of 2019 at Old Rochester Regional High School, expressed her desire to create a knitting club to teach other students how to knit. Lily is a very kind and talented student, and Señora Carreira did not hesitate to say, “Let’s do it!” The idea was to have a group of students share patterns and spend time in a calming activity to help reduce the stress that many students experience in high school.
Together, they gathered ideas and yarn from their own old projects, and formalized their thoughts. By the end of September, they had already spoken with many students and came up with the perfect name: “Knit OR Crochet Club.”
The first idea that came to Lily’s mind was to use the club to help others. Next, the club was approved to be a community service opportunity,and they began to work on the logo and advertisement of the club. During the ORRHSClubs Fairin the fall of 2019, many students expressed excitement about joining the “Knit OR Crochet Club.” The first meeting was held October 3, 2018, with 24 students. Currently, there are 12 regular knitters and many other students who come when the academic load allows. The club has met every Friday during Bulldog Block.
“It is amazing how well the kids work together,” said Carreira. “They arrive with a lot of enthusiasm and love to knit. Many students have taken projects to complete at home and many have come up with different ideas. We all have learned from each other. Everyone is welcome!”
After the club was established and began to grow, they were in need of more materials, including crochet and knitting needles, to keep on working. Some students began knitting with pencils and needed more yarn to keep working.
The knitting club presented the idea to the Student Council at ORR, hoping to be awarded some money to buy what they desperately needed. Student Council opened a spot in its meeting agenda and, after the students finished their presentation, the Student Council voted “yes” with a unanimous consent, allotting $200 for the club to buy more supplies.
With the materials, and after four months of work, students were able to complete 44 hats, 13 scarves, 12 headbands, and three pairs of mittens.
On Wednesday, March 20, some of the students brought the handmade donations to the Extreme Weather Overflow Shelter at Sister Rose House in New Bedford, where residents and volunteers received them with a very warm welcome. Shelter Volunteer Coordinator Robin Muise had the students introduce themselves, and then everyone gathered to pick their handmade items. It was a very special moment for all of them, filled with lots of compliments and appreciation for the students’ handiwork.
“The Knit OR Crochethas amazing kids with big hearts,” Carreira said. “I am very fortunate to be the person supporting their great ideas and I am very proud of them! I believe this is only the beginning. We plan on keep on knitting so we can make another donation in November of 2019 before the weather gets extremely cold. Now, we want to learn how to make gloves.”
But the club needs the community’s help with acquiring some more yarn and supplies to continue the community service.
“We appreciate all donations of yarn you may find at home [or on sale while you’re shopping] so we can continue fulfilling our goal of helping those who experience the uncomfortable feeling of being cold in the winter months,” said Carreira on behalf of the entire club.
Please contact Diana Carreira, or bring the donations to the Main Office at ORRHS. Any knitting and croqueting materials are welcome, and the students will make more beautiful projects with your help.Thank you very much in advance for your support.
Submitted by ORRHS Staff