Students in a new knitting club that started this year were hard-pressed for supplies, and at times had to knit with pencils, but by the end of the winter had made 72 hats, scarves, gloves and headbands to donate to a local charity. 

In May 2018, during a Bulldog Block in Diana Carreira's classroom, Lily Govoni, Class of 2019 at Old Rochester Regional High School, said she wanted to create a knitting club to teach other students how to knit. 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 stress. Govoni also wanted to use the club to help others. 

Together, she and Carriera gathered and yarn from old projects. At the end of September they had already spoken with many students and came up with the perfect name: "Knit OR Crochet Club." 

After getting school approval and brainstorming a logo, the club debuted during the fall 2018 Clubs Fair, where many students expressed excitement about joining.

The first meeting was held October 3, 2018 with 24 students attending. Currently, there are 12 regular knitters and many other students who come when classes allow. The club meets every Friday during Bulldog Block.

"It is amazing how well the kids work together. 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," Carriera said. 

When the club began to grow it needed more materials, including crochet and knitting needles, to keep on working. Some students began knitting with pencils and also needed more yarn to keep working. The knitting club presented a funding request to the Student Council, and the members unanimously voted “yes.” 

With the new materials and four months of work, students were able to complete 44 hats, 13 scarves, 12 headbands, and 3 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 warm welcome.

The Volunteer Coordinator, Robin Muise, had the students to introduce themselves to the men and women and then everyone gathered to pick their hats, gloves or scarves. It was a very special moment for all of them, filled with lots of compliments and appreciation for the students’ handiwork.

“The ‘Knit OR Crochet’ has amazing kids with big hearts. I am very fortunate to be the person supporting their great ideas and I am very proud of them,” said Carriera, “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."

Community members who would like to donate materials to the club should contact Carreira, or bring the donations to the main office at the high school.