Being able to make your own clothes is a unique skill that not a lot of people nowadays can claim to possess. In the next five months, I will build my knowledge in the field of knitting so that I can construct handmade, useful pieces. One work I’m really excited to make is a sweater or top that I would wear myself. However, while I was thinking about my topic I also realized that I could use this skill to help others. My end goal for the project is to knit at least five items and donate them to a local charity or organization that would benefit from them. Some places I could donate to include hats or scarves to a homeless shelter, a standard clothes drop-off bin, slippers to an old-folks home, or baby blankets to a women’s shelter. This way, I can benefit myself and my skill set, as well as my community.

 

Some examples of tops I could make:

 

I generally enjoy doing arts and crafts and hands-on activities, so I knew I would probably want to learn more of a physical skill rather than a purely mental one. Knitting uses speed and technique as well as theory and memorization, so it was a good balance for me. Another reason that I chose this is that a few weeks ago the Knitting Community Project committee invited all of us to knit our own projects and give them to the committee to be donated to the homeless. For this, I just learned to knit a simple scarf with a basic knit stitch, but it was a very enjoyable process with a nice outcome. This knitting and donating method was part of what inspired my own goal.

 

My mentor:

My mentor for my In-Depth project is my grandmother, Sheila Lapierre. She has been knitting for over 45 years and is a near expert in her field. Some specialties of hers are hats, baby clothes, cloths and towels, and thick, warm Santa hats that she sells in her community over the holiday season. No one else in my family knits, so we are both excited to pass down some of her skills and legacy that I can carry on for years to come. That is part of why I chose this topic in the first place: so that I can spend time with her and the brimming sea of knowledge she has to offer. One obstacle I could have relating to my mentor is if Covid-19 restrictions worsen, or if I become sick, I won’t be able to meet with my grandma in person. She doesn’t have a very good grasp of technology, so a platform such as Zoom or FaceTime would be difficult, and even then they wouldn’t really have the same effect as a one-on-one session. If that happens, I will do my best to deal with and figure out a good solution. I am very grateful that I have her as a resource, and I’m looking forward to working with her.