Ladies Share Their Crafts To Help Others

It’s a great way to spend an afternoon - laughing and chatting with friends while taking part in a favorite shared activity.

Twice a month the ladies of the Crafts to Share Club gather in the meeting room to do something they do best – knitting and crocheting blankets and hats, many of which are then donated to Hackensack University Medical Center or Tomorrow’s Childrens Fund to comfort those who are battling illnesses.

Melissa Singlevich who heads the adult programs at the library explained the club was born about six years ago when member Gina DeFlorio started giving knitting lessons. It quickly turned into a club of women who come together to share their creations.

“Half the fun is bringing in our stuff and showing it off,” said Loretta Braren, who has been a Crafts to Share member for a few years now.

Jeanne DiTomasso explained how she made crocheted hats for the Tomorrow’s Children out of a Japanese  yarn that was donated to the library. She said it took several hours as she had to roll four separate spools together. It was a lot of assembling even before she started to crochet, she said.

“I just wish I could see one little girl wearing the hat,” DiTomasso said.

Many bags of yarn are donated to the library which the club uses. “We try to use everything they give us,” said Marion Philburn. The club members also use their own materials for their projects.

Philburn said many of the group members are based in Heights and many of them also participate in craft groups in the area from other senior and community centers such as Garfield which also will donate items to Hospice.

Every other month the Crafts to Share Club will join the library’s afterschool teen group to make special projects. Next month they will craft springtime barnyard centerpieces.  The club regularly meets two times a month – once in the evening and once in the afternoon.